IHC judges’ letter: Chief justice seeks proposals from judges
- By Web Desk -
- Apr 19, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice has sought proposals from the judges on the issue of six IHC judges’s letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) alleging interference in judicial functions, ARY News reported, citing sources.
Sources privy to the matter said that the IHC chief justice on the directions of the Supreme Court has asked the judges to submit their proposals by Monday, April 22.
Along with the IHC judges, recommendations were also sought from the district and session judges of East and West in Islamabad, they added.
A decision will be taken regarding the summoning of a full court after the submission of the recommendations, as per sources.
Read more: SC moved for probe into IHC judges’ letter
A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court Bar moved the apex court for probe into IHC judges’ allegations of interference by intelligence agencies.
As per details, the plea filed by Islamabad High Court Bar urged the top court for a transparent investigation into the letter fiasco and action must be taken against those who degraded the IHC judges.
It is pertinent to mention that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa on April 1 took suo moto notice of IHC judges’ letter in which they alleged interference by intelligence agencies in judicial matters.
The development came after IHC top judges – including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Baqir Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Salman Rafat Imtiaz – penned the letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
In the letter, they sought guidance from the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) with regard to the duty of a “judge to report and respond to actions on part of members of the executive, including operatives of intelligence agencies, that seek to interfere with discharge of his/her official functions and qualify as intimidation”.
The Supreme Court’s larger bench included Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
Later, Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from the seven-member larger bench, saying that the apex court should refrain from proceeding the case on a judicial level.