The mystery surrounding the menacing letters sent to judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts is nearing resolution, with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) making significant progress in identifying the letter’s author, according to the sources.
Following the receipt of a forensic report analyzing the handwriting in the letters, the CTD has made notable advancements in its investigation. Sources indicate that the department has linked the letters addressed to judges of the Supreme Court in Islamabad and Lahore High Courts.
Forensic analysis has confirmed that the letters addressed to judges in all three courts were authored by the same individual. Furthermore, the letters, sent under different names such as Resham, Reshaman, and Gulshad Khatun, were dispatched through the same post office, as per the forensic findings.
According to sources within the CTD, there appears to be a singular mastermind orchestrating the campaign of sending threatening letters to judges. Moreover, the arsenic detected in the letters sent to the judges was procured by the same person. Efforts are underway to pinpoint the source of the arsenic purchase.
The investigation also involves scrutinizing CCTV footage obtained from nearby post boxes, with the aim of identifying the individuals involved.
Since April 2, numerous judges from the Supreme Court and high courts, including Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, have been receiving suspicious letters laced with anthrax. The first batch of letters was directed to the Islamabad High Court, which included the chief justice and eight other judges.
In response to these incidents, the government tasked the CTD with conducting a thorough inquiry to apprehend the culprit behind the threats to judges.
In light of these threatening developments, the Lahore High Court has implemented new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling letters addressed to jurists. All courier companies and postal workers are instructed to obtain mandatory clearance for all types of letters and parcels from the security room. Subsequently, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) conducts a security check before delivering the mail to the relevant judges’ offices.
