ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa said that there will be zero tolerance for the freedom of the judiciary in the country.
CJP Isa said this at the hearing of suo motu about IHC’s judges’ complaint about the interference by the executives in their judicial matters.
The 7-member larger bench of the Supreme Court took up for hearing today the suo motu about the IHC judges’ complaint.
CJP Qazi Faez Isa also regretted that the petitions were being published in the media before the courts take up them for hearing.
Qazi Isa made it clear that he does not take any pressure on judicial matters.
Notably, a seven-judge panel of the Supreme Court is set to initiate suo motu proceedings regarding a letter submitted by members of the Islamabad High Court, citing alleged interference by intelligence agencies.
Chaired by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the bench comprises Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Naeem Afghan.
The hearing was started at 11:30 am on Wednesday.
This bench was convened on Monday following the refusal of former Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani to lead a judicial commission established by the government.
Six judges from the Islamabad High Court had urged for a judicial conference to address the purported interference of intelligence agencies in the judiciary.
However, subsequent to a full court reference in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice engaged in discussions with the Prime Minister, advocating for the establishment of a judicial commission instead.
Earlier, over 300 lawyers from various bar associations nationwide have commended the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges for their bold action in addressing alleged interference by spy agencies in the judiciary. They have urged the Supreme Court to take up the matter under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.
The IHC judges, including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Fafat Imtiaz, penned a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), urging a judicial convention on intelligence agencies’ alleged meddling in judicial affairs.
Following a meeting between Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it was decided to form an inquiry commission led by a retired judge of unquestionable integrity to investigate the matter.
This move came after the federal cabinet approved the establishment of an inquiry commission led by former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani to investigate the allegations of intelligence agencies’ interference in judicial matters.
In a statement issued, the lawyers expressed support for resolutions passed by various bar associations and demanded action to uphold the independence of the judiciary. Notable signatories include Advocates Salman Akram Raja, Imaan Mazari, Abdul Moiz Jaferri, and Zainab Janjua, among others.
