• Justice Isa says incidents mentioned in IHC judges’ letter date from before he took charge
• Says interference in judicial affairs is not acceptable
• Six-judge Supreme Court bench to resume suo motu proceedings on ‘meddling’ on 30th

KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa said on Thursday that no incidents of interference in judicial matters had occurred since he took charge of the top court.

Speaking at an event organised by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), Justice Isa emphasised that while interference in the working of the judiciary is unacceptable, no such incidents had been reported to him since he assumed office in September last year, adding that recent complaints by high court judges referred to events that transpired before he was sworn in as the CJP.

The top judge’s remarks came a month after six of the eight Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges wrote a startling letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, complaining about interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence apparatus.

The letter, dated March 25, was signed by judges Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

A day later, calls emerged from various quarters for an investigation into the judges’ complaints. Subsequently, Justice Isa summoned a full court meeting of the Supreme Court judges.

After a meeting between Justice Isa and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 28, the duo decided to form a commission to investigate interference allegations in judicial affairs following the cabinet’s approval.

However, former CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, who was appointed to head the commission, recused himself from the matter, prompting the Supreme Court to take a suo motu notice of the issue.

On April 3, Justice Isa asserted that any attack on the judiciary’s independence would not be tolerated as he hinted at forming a full court to hear the suo motu case.

A six-judge Supreme Court bench will resume the hearing of the case on April 30. Headed by Chief Justice Isa, the bench will also include Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Athar Minallah, Musarrat Hilali and Naeem Akhtar Afghan. Earlier, Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from the bench.

In his SHCBA address on Thursday, Justice Isa said the incidents mentioned in the IHC letter were from before his tenure as the top judge began.

“I would like to say one thing that since I have been chief justice, I have not received a single complaint from any high court judge that there has been any interference in their work,” the chief justice said.

“Now, if there has been any interference in their work, it has not been reported to me and all the incidents that were mentioned were before my watch, before I took the oath as the CJP,” he said. “So, this is a thing to bear in mind because interference is not acceptable but at the same time nothing has been reported to me during my watch.”

Justic Isa also lauded the support extended by the SHCBA for the six IHC judges who wrote the letter. He also appreciated the association for its initiatives for human rights and other such issues.

New SC building in Karachi

In addition to addressing judicial independence, Justice Isa discussed a significant new development project — a new building for the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry, opposite the main entrance of the Sindh High Court.

Covering nearly seven acres and estimated to cost between Rs6 billion and Rs8 billion, the project aims to centralise federal tribunals and special courts in one facility. The federal government has approved this plan, which seeks to reduce recurring expenses and logistical challenges currently faced due to scattered court locations.

Justice Isa also reminisced about his days practising law in Karachi, pointing out the difficulties with parking and accessing court facilities. He advocated for better record-keeping and the consolidation of federal court functions to improve efficiency and access.

The CJP said that he along with Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail met the other day with the apex court building committee and it was noted that the present Supreme Court building in Karachi was iconic and a protected heritage site. The matter about its restoration to its original position as much as possible also came under discussion during the meeting.

“I also suggested to the provincial government for preservation of other similar buildings located in the city,” Justice Isa added.

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and SHCBA President Rehan Aziz Malik also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024