Justice Athar Minallah on Tuesday said the state has to protect judges as well as independence of the judiciary.

He passed these remarks as a six-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) heard the case related to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges’ letter regarding intelligence agencies’ interference in their judicial work.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali, and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan took up the case.

During the hearing, Justice Minallah said that the state should ensure protection of the judges and independence of the judiciary.

CJP Qazi Faez Isa said that “others” would become powerful till the Parliament became strong.

Today, Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan appeared before the apex court.

The SC ordered the petitioners including the bar councils and associations to submit a response by the next hearing on May 7.

Background

In March, 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 wrote a letter to Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) seeking guidance on the interference of intelligent agencies in judicial functions.

Later, the SC took suo motu on a letter of the IHC judges of interference and intimidation by the operatives of intelligence agencies in judicial work.

Later, Lahore High Court and IHC held Full Court meetings in their respective courts. The IHC judges unanimously decided to give an institutional response in case of any such meddling into their judicial working in future.