Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of IHC judges’ letter

The Supreme Court on Monday took suo moto notice of the letter written by the six judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The development comes days after the federal government formed a commission under Justice (r) Tassaduq Hussain Jilani to probe the allegations made by the IHC judges.

However, Justice (retd) Jillani recused himself from heading the commission on Monday.

A seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Faez Isa will hear the suo-motu case on Wednesday.

The bench comprises Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.

A day earlier, over 300 lawyers from different bar associations across the country lauded the judges’.

The lawyers called upon the apex court to hear the matter under its suo motu jurisdictions under Article 184(3) calling it a matter of public importance.

The letter in question:

The six IHC judges in the letter addressed to the Supreme Judicial Council that “it is imperative to inquire into and determine whether there exists a continuing policy on the part of the executive branch of the state, implemented by intelligence operatives who report to the executive branch, to intimidate judges, under threat of coercion or blackmail, to engineer judicial outcomes in politically consequential matters.”

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz signed the controversial letter in question.

On the other hand, Chief Justice (r) Jillani in his letter addressed to the prime minister thanked him, as well as, the Chief Justice and Justice Shah for expressing their confidence and assigning the task.

However, he noted that the matter was related to the Supreme Judicial Council, which should looked after.