ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa made it clear to the prime minister that interference by the executive in the affairs and judicial workings of judges will not be tolerated.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met with the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Qazi Faez Isa, at the Supreme Court building, ostensibly in view of a letter sent by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
Senior Puisne Judge Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Supreme Court Registrar Jazeela Aslam, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Awan were also present in the meeting that lasted for more than one hour.
A handout issued by the SC PRO’s Office said that during the meeting a proposal was made to constitute an Inquiry Commission under the Pakistan Commissions of Inquiry Act, 2017, which should be headed by a retired judge of impeccable integrity to inquire into the matter.
The prime minister undertook that a meeting of the Federal Cabinet will be called to seek their approval for the constitution of the said Commission. The prime minister fully endorsed the views expressed by the CJP and Senior Puisne Judge and further assured them that he will be taking other appropriate measures to ensure an independent judiciary, including issuance of directions to the relevant departments, and initiating legislation in accordance with paragraph 53 of Suo Moto No 7/2017 (the Faizabad Dharna judgment).
After the meeting, the chief justice again called a Full Court meeting and briefed the judges on what had transpired at the meeting with the prime minister.
The statement said that the CJP clearly stated that interference by the Executive in the affairs and judicial workings of judges will not be tolerated and under no circumstances can independence of the judiciary be allowed to be compromised.
According to the handout, the CJP and the Senior Puisne Judge stated that independence of judiciary is a foundational pillar that upholds the rule of law and a strong democracy.
The IHC judges including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz, on March 25, wrote a letter to the SJC seeking guidance on the interference of intelligence agencies
The statement said that the chief justice in view of the gravity of the allegations levelled in the said letter, called a meeting on the same day with the chief justice and all the judges of the IHC after Iftar at 8pm at the chief justice’s residence. The concerns of all the judges were heard individually in a meeting that lasted for over two and a half hours.
The following day, 27 March 2024, the CJP met with the attorney-general and the law minister, and thereafter, the CJP along with the Senior Puisne Judge met with the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and the senior most member of the Pakistan Bar Council present in Islamabad.
The same day a Full Court meeting of all the judges of the Supreme Court was called under the chairmanship of the chief justice of Pakistan at 4pm.
The Full Court deliberated over the issues raised in the letter. A consensus was developed among the majority of the members of the Full Court that in view of the gravity of the situation, the CJP may hold a meeting with the prime minister on the issues raised in the said letter and the meeting was adjourned.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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