ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday suspended the Islamabad High Court’s rulings and stayed further proceedings in the case on an appeal moved by the federal government.
The Audio leaks case involved former First Lady Bushra Bibi and Najam Saqib, the son of former Chief Justice of Pakistan.
A SC division bench led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan was hearing the case.
The top court accepted the federal government’s appeal and issued notices to both Najam Saqib and Bushra Bibi.
During the proceedings, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan questioned whether the Islamabad High Court had identified who was responsible for recording the leaked audio. The Additional Attorney General responded that this had not yet been determined, with the investigation still ongoing.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan expressed concern, noting that there seems to be little desire in the country to uncover the truth. He pointed out that an inquiry commission was established for this purpose but was halted by the Supreme Court. He also lamented that despite efforts by Parliament to uncover the truth, those attempts were also thwarted. “If neither Parliament nor the courts are allowed to function, how will the truth come to light?” he asked.
Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan then raised the possibility that the individual involved in the conversation might have leaked the audio themselves, highlighting that modern mobile devices are equipped with recording capabilities.
The court further stated that the Islamabad High Court does not have the jurisdiction to proceed with the audio leaks case. It emphasized that the High Court overstepped its authority with its orders on May 29 and June 25, as it does not possess the power to take suo motu notice.
Later, the Supreme Court summoned the complete records of the audio leaks case from the federal government.
