The Supreme Court of Pakistan reconvened on Tuesday to continue deliberations on a case involving allegations by six high court judges of interference and intimidation by the country’s influential intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.
This development follows claims made by six out of eight judges from the Islamabad High Court, accusing the military’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of exerting pressure and coercion regarding legal matters, particularly those carrying significant political implications.
The judges cited various instances of purported interference, including a case involving Pakistan’s incarcerated former Prime Minister, Imran Khan. Additionally, they recounted incidents where they alleged that their relatives had been abducted and subjected to torture, and their residences had been clandestinely surveilled, all with the purported aim of influencing their decisions in specific cases.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, reiterating a stance against any form of judicial meddling, underscored the multifaceted nature of such interference. “Interference can emanate from various quarters, whether it be from intelligence agencies, one’s peers and family members, or even social media,” he remarked.
Justice Isa emphasized that judgments and court orders inherently reflect any undue influence. “If there has been interference, the judgments and court orders ‘shout’ on their own,” he asserted.
Initially, a seven-member bench was constituted by the CJP to address the matter, with the most recent hearing taking place on April 3. However, the bench underwent reconstitution subsequent to Justice Yahya Afridi’s recusal.
Earlier discussions between the Chief Justice and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif resulted in an agreement to establish an inquiry commission. However, former Pakistan Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, who was nominated to lead the commission, opted to withdraw from the role, urging the Supreme Court to address the issue at an institutional level.
