Pakistan’s Supreme Court is embroiled in a controversy surrounding alleged interference by intelligence agencies in judicial affairs. This follows a letter written by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges raising concerns about such interference.<\/p>\n
Justice Afridi Recuses Himself Justice Minallah Expresses Dissent Supreme Court Issues Notices Court Order Details Past Actions Suo Motu Notice and Background IHC Judges’ Letter Key Points:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pakistan’s Supreme Court is embroiled in a controversy surrounding alleged interference by intelligence agencies in judicial affairs. This follows a letter written by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges raising concerns about such interference. Justice Afridi Recuses Himself Justice Yahya Afridi, one of the seven judges initially assigned to the case, recused himself. He believes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,16],"tags":[103],"ppma_author":[95],"class_list":{"0":"post-2326","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest","8":"category-pakistan","9":"tag-top-stories"},"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>Justice Yahya Afridi, one of the seven judges initially assigned to the case, recused himself. He believes the Supreme Court’s intervention (suo motu notice) might undermine the independence of high courts.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Another judge, Justice Athar Minallah, included a dissenting note. While agreeing with the seriousness of the matter, he believes the suo motu action might discourage future whistleblowers within the judiciary. He also argues that the court should consider past instances of potential interference.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Supreme Court bench issued notices to the Attorney General, Pakistan Bar Council, and the Supreme Court Bar Association. These parties are expected to provide suggestions on how the judiciary should respond as an institution.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The written order details the steps taken by Chief Justice Isa in response to the IHC judges’ letter. These include meetings with the Prime Minister, Attorney General, and bar councils. The order also mentions the proposal for an inquiry commission, which faced controversy.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Supreme Court took suo motu notice on April 1st based on a petition from lawyers across the country. The petition urged the Chief Justice to investigate the allegations using the court’s special powers under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In March, six judges from the Islamabad High Court wrote a letter to the Chief Justice highlighting concerns about interference from intelligence agencies. They requested him to convene a Judicial Convention to address the issue.<\/p>\n\n