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Pakistan: Islamabad HC judges call ISI involvement in the judiciary

A petition was submitted to the Supreme Judicial Council by six judges of the Islamabad High Court, who accused the presence of "interference" and "intimidation" by individuals affiliated with intelligence organizations.

 

In a joint letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), at least six active judges from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) expressed concerns about the "interference of intelligence agencies with judicial functions" and called for a judicial meeting. The seven judges of the IHC, except Chief Justice Amer Farooq, have brought attention to the alleged influence and pressure exerted by senior officials from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on judicial proceedings.

 

Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Baqir Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Salman Rafat Imtiaz all signed the letter, which was in response to the Supreme Court's decision from March 22 regarding Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui's dismissal case.

 

"We are reaching out to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to request guidance on the responsibilities of judges when it comes to reporting and addressing interference from executive members, including intelligence agency operatives. These actions, seen as intimidation, hinder the judge's ability to carry out their official duties. Additionally, we are seeking clarification on the obligation to report any such actions involving colleagues or members of the courts under the supervision of the High Court," stated the letter.

 

Days earlier, as reported by TGE News, the Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal of former IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was unlawful and that he may now be regarded as a retired judge.

This issue arose after the Supreme Court's ruling in Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui v. Federation of Pakistan (C.P. No. 76 of 2018) on March 22, 2024. The ruling stated that Justice Siddiqui, the senior puisne judge of the Islamabad High Court ("IHC"), was wrongfully removed based on a Supreme Judicial Council ("SJC") report dated October 11, 2018 and that he would be deemed to have retired as an IHC judge.

 

The judges of the IHC have raised concerns about the lack of guidance in the SJC's code of conduct for judges regarding incidents that resemble intimidation and interference with judicial independence. They are calling for an inquiry to determine if an ongoing executive policy aims to interfere in judicial affairs.