SJC
ISLAMABAD: A former official of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has lodged a complaint with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Senior Puisne Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, one of the six judges who recently penned a letter to the SJC outlining alleged harassment by state institutions.
According to Mohammad Waqas, former general secretary of IHCBA, Justice Kayani allegedly orchestrated a systematic campaign against state institutions by persuading fellow high court judges. Waqas asserted that Justice Kayani’s actions lacked good faith, citing ongoing integrity and conduct concerns.
The complaint referenced a prior matter involving lawyers associated with Justice Kayani’s former law chamber, which had resulted in a police case involving the special prosecutor of the Benazir Bhutto murder case, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali.
It further alleged intelligence agencies’ failure to monitor judges’ potential misconduct. Moreover, it criticized the judges’ letter for politicizing judicial affairs and tarnishing the judiciary’s reputation.
The letter in question, authored by six IHC judges including Justice Kayani, accused intelligence agencies of meddling in judicial affairs, including coercion tactics like abduction and torture of relatives, and secret surveillance inside judges’ homes. It questioned the existence of a state police force aimed at intimidating judges.
In addition to Justice Kayani, the letter was signed by Justices Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz of the IHC.
The complaint to the SJC seeks proceedings against Justice Kayani under Article 209 of the Constitution.
It reflects ongoing tensions within the judiciary and raises significant questions about the relationship between state institutions and the judiciary’s independence.
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