SC moved to form full-court bench over alleged meddling in judicial affairs
Pakistan
Legal bodies seek strict punishment for the guilty, dissolution of govt-formed commission
(Web Desk) – The Supreme Court was moved on Wednesday to constitute a full-court bench to examine the allegations against intelligence agencies regarding interference in judicial affairs.
The petitions, submitted by the Balochistan Bar Council and the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, urge the apex court to establish guidelines preventing such occurrences in the future and to impose strict punishment on those found guilty.
The legal bodies also sought the dissolution of the government-formed single-member commission tasked with investigating the allegations.
This development coincides with the resumption of the hearing on April 29 by a seven-member SC bench of the suo motu case initiated following a letter from Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) regarding the pressing matter.
The seven-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, took notice of the judges' letter under Article 183 (3) of the Constitution after former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani recused himself from heading the one-member commission.
Earlier this month, Justice Afridi, a member of the SC bench, recused himself from the suo motu proceedings, citing the need to address the matter in accordance with the SJC's code of conduct.
During the initial hearing on April 3, CJP Isa emphasised the seriousness of the judges' letter, affirming the court's firm stance against any interference in judicial affairs and hinting at a potential full-court hearing in the future.
