IHC judges’ letter: Legal fraternity demands full bench

ISLAMABAD: The legal fraternity demanded the constitution of a full bench to hear the suo moto case regarding Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges’ letter, alleging interference in judicial functions by intelligence agencies, ARY News reported.

All Pakistan Lawyers Convention was held in Lahore in which a larger bench formed by the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan was rejected. The lawyers demanded the apex court to constitute a full bench to proceed with the hearing.

They also demanded that the hearing of the case should be held on a daily basis. “Action should be taken against those who interfere in judicial affairs,” a statement issued after the convention read.

Meanwhile, the lawyers also demanded from the concerned authorities to quash terrorism clauses from the cases registered against the arrested lawyers. “All arrested lawyers should be released with dignity,” they added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Thursday formed a new bench to hear a suo motu case regarding the allegations of interference by intelligence agencies in judicial functions

A new bench was constituted after Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from the hearing. Apart from Justice Yahya Afridi, all other six members of the previous bench are part of the new six-member bench.

Read More: IHC judges’ letter: Justice Yahya Afridi recuses himself from suo moto bench

Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa would head the bench which also comprises Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhaill, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.

Chief Justice of Pakistan 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.

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 SJC in the aftermath of Supreme Court’s March 22 judgement on Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s dismissal case.

In the letter, the top judges 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”.