In a letter addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Saturday, incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan called for the punishment of those who have subverted the Constitution in response to allegations made by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges about interference in judicial affairs by the country\u2019s intelligence apparatus.<\/p>\n
The development follows allegations made by six IHC judges against interference in judicial affairs by the country\u2019s intelligence apparatus. On March 25, six IHC judges \u2014 out of a total strength of eight \u2014 wrote a startling letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, detailing attempts to pressure judges through abduction and torture of their relatives, as well as secret surveillance inside their homes.<\/p>\n
The letter was signed by judges Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.<\/p>\n
A day later, calls emerged from various quarters for a probe into the investigation. Following this, CJP Isa summoned a full-court meeting of the Supreme Court\u2019s (SC) judges.<\/p>\n
After a meeting between CJP Isa and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 28, the duo decided to form a commission to investigate the concerns of interference in judicial affairs following the cabinet\u2019s approval. However, former CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, who was appointed to head the commission, subsequently recused himself from the matter, leading to the apex court taking suo motu notice of the issue.<\/p>\n
On April 3, CJP Isa asserted that \u201cany attack\u201d on the judiciary\u2019s independence would not be tolerated, hinting at forming a full-court to hear a suo motu case pertaining to allegations of interference in judicial affairs.<\/p>\n
In the letter addressed to the top judge, Imran noted that it was \u201cironical\u201d that those who were supposed to provide justice were instead seeking it.<\/p>\n
He said the demand of the IHC judges for a judicial convention to look into the matter would have \u201cexposed the scale of this meddling and demonstrated the extent to which, institutionally, those armed with weapons continue to overpower those armed with the pen\u201d, referring to the alleged interference of the executive and intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n
However, Imran criticized the apex court\u2019s actions so far on the issue as \u201cmeek and indecisive\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said that the situation called for \u201cstrict action on part of the SC towards speedily setting the system right\u201d by coming to the aid of all high courts and lower courts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis calls for assembling and putting in place a robust mechanism of enforcement and accountability that resurrects the judiciary\u2019s independence. And this calls for punishing those who have subverted the Constitution by unconstitutional means as aforesaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cFailing that, the people\u2019s confidence in the justice system of Pakistan, which is undergoing significant erosion already, will stand dismantled and demolished,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The PTI founder said the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution had fallen to a \u201cnew low\u201d in the country, causing the \u201cgradual emergence of the law of the jungle and the enactment of the primitive doctrine that might is right\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said that if the \u201csituation were to prevail, it would be fatal to any civilized order in the world\u201d, particularly if the superior judiciary did not \u201cmeaningfully intervene\u201d.<\/p>\n
In his letter, Imran raised seven issues with the apex court and said that the circumstances called for a \u201cprompt intervention\u201d.<\/p>\n
Taking aim at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif\u2019s clean chit in the Toshakhana vehicle reference, Imran criticized the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for \u201cmaking a mockery of our justice system\u201d by proposing the former prime minister\u2019s exoneration despite it having previously been pursued as an \u201copen and shut case\u201d.<\/p>\n
Imran called for a thorough inquiry into Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt\u2019s conduct as NAB chairman for the \u201cdishonesty, discrimination, and double standards employed by NAB\u201d.<\/p>\n
Talking about the Bahawalnagar incident that saw an alleged \u201cface-off\u201d between police and army personnel following the arrest of a serving army official, Imran said the incident should serve as an \u201ceye-opener on the lopsided state of uniformed vigilante justice\u201d in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lines drawn by our Constitution between the various pillars of the state are getting blurred into non-existence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Imran also said that he believed that over 90 per cent of the people who are incarcerated for the incidents of violence, arson, and looting connected with the May 9 protests were \u201cpeaceful and unarmed protesters who did not indulge in any violence whatsoever\u201d.<\/p>\n
Imran said a constitutional petition calling for an independent, transparent, and thorough inquiry to ascertain the inciters and perpetrators of the May 9 violence, as well as those who allowed it to escalate, was pending in the apex court since May 25, 2023, adding that the case must be taken up and decided on a priority basis in the interest of \u201ccomplete justice\u201d.<\/p>\n
Regarding alleged rigging in the general elections, Imran said the SC should take up the petitions on the conduct of the polls on a priority basis and decide them.<\/p>\n
Concluding the letter to CJP Isa, Imran said: \u201cInaction on your part and that of the SC in the face of each of the aforementioned matters of grave importance would exacerbate the constitutional crisis the country is already faced with and push it closer and closer to the abyss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reminding the CJP of his past remarks, Imran added that \u201cnow is the time for you to prove whether your declared belief in the principles and values espoused by Pakistan\u2019s founding fathers, and your proclamation of the supremacy of the Constitution, are for real or were mere hollow rhetoric \u2026 The entire nation is looking at you accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a letter addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Saturday, incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan called for the punishment of those who have subverted the Constitution in response to allegations made by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges about interference in judicial affairs by the country\u2019s intelligence apparatus. The development […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2149,"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-2443","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