IHC judges’ letter: ‘Political parties not in favour of ending interference’

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of the suo-moto case pertaining to a letter of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, alleging interference in the judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence agencies, ARY News reported.

The representatives of the Pakistan Bar and the Islamabad High Court Bar presented their arguments during Tuesday’s hearing.

The six-member larger bench headed by CJP Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhaill, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan put off the hearing to a date which will be announced later.

During the hearing, Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the biggest question in front of the bench is whether or not the country is being operated within the constitution.

“It seems that the political parties do not want interference to be ended. Interference in 2018 benefited one political party, and it is currently benefiting another party,” Justice Athar Minallah said.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail remarked that political parties want interference to be done for them. “Today, the interference is done for one party, tomorrow it will be done for another party,” he added.

At the outset of the hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan requested the court for more time to present his arguments as he had not received a copy of the April 30 hearing.

AGP Awan apprised the court that written order of the last hearing is not yet received.

The AGP said that the order must be shown to the prime minister to file government’s reply.

CJP Isa then inquired the counsels of the bar councils and associations how long they would take to present their arguments.

Upon Justice Isa’s directive, the AGP then read aloud the short order from the last hearing.

Justice Minallah asked the counsel if it would not have been better to summon a meeting and agree on a unanimous response. “Whatever their opinion was, it is equally important,” he added.

Judges’ letter

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 judgment 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”.