Zubair Qureshi
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), two premier representative bodies of the lawyers of higher judiciary, have called for a thorough probe into allegations made by 6 Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges against interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence agencies.
They have termed the allegations quite serious and perturbing and required “serious actions by the judiciary as an institution.”
In a press release, SCBA President ShahzadShaukat took “serious exception to the undue interference” claimed by the judges.
“Such issues should be addressed in a befitting manner and any apprehensions/ misgivings which might be in the minds of honorable judges should be adequately addressed,” he said.
The PR further declared “unequivocally that bar associations, particularly the SCBA, will not tolerate any incidents aimed at undermining the independence, integrity, authority and functioning of judicial institutions.”
In an open letter, SCBA Additional Secretary SardarShahbaz Ali Khosa urged CJP Isa to take suomotu notice of the matter under Article 184(3) of the Constitution and conduct a “thorough and transparent (live) hearing” of the case.
He also highlighted a “recent crackdown on journalists and media outlets who have reported on these alleged interferences” and urged CJP Isa to summon prominent journalists across Pakistan to detail the “extent of interference and coercion that the free press is being meted to on an everyday basis.”
The SCBA official further called for a meeting of the SJC to be convened on the issue and “not only ascertain the way forward but also fix responsibilities.”
The IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) has also demanded that the CJP should hold a “transparent inquiry” into the matter and that legal action be taken against those involved. In a press release, the association said its cabinet held an emergency meeting.
The lawyers’ body “strongly condemned the interference of one institution into the matters of another institution”.
It further demanded that the “judiciary ensure independent decisions according to the law and the Constitution without fear or danger”.
It also commended the six IHC judges for their “courage and bravery.” The high court lawyers’ representative body said if needed it would prove to be a vanguard for the judiciary’s independence and “would take every step needed for the supremacy of the Constitution and the law.”
