Interference of spy agencies: PTI asks CJP to convene judicial convention

ISLAMABAD: In order to protect the independence of the judiciary, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to convene a judicial convention to chalk out a strategy to put a full stop to the never ending interference of spy agencies in judicial matters.

The demand from the party comes a day after yet another letter surfaced by an anti-terrorism court judge, hearing the cases related to attacks on military installations in May last year by PTI workers, accusing the powerful intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of harassing him and his family members to get desired verdicts.

Judge (Sargodha) Muhammad Abbas has written a letter to Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan informing him how spy agency ISI officials harassed him and his family members.

The judge has been hearing the cases against Opposition Leader in Parliament Omar Ayub and other workers of Imran Khan's PTI related to attacks on military installations in May last year.

PTI spokesman Raoof Hasan recalled that the demand from the six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges – in their letters to the Supreme Judicial Council – to hold a judicial convention was the need of the hour to protect the independence and future of the judiciary.

Hasan regretted that the chief justice of Pakistan is in a state of denial as the entire judiciary is under attack right under his nose, but he has yet to take any action to save this great institution of judiciary.

He said that the unelected people and their handlers who have been imposed on masses through rigged elections, would not have dared to trample the law and the constitution if there had been an independent judiciary.

He lauded the letter written by the ATC judge to the LHC chief justice followed by a similar letter by six IHC judges, saying it is a beacon of hope for the country as the future of the country is linked to the presence of an independent judiciary and upright judges.

Terming the notice and action by the chief justice of the LHC on the letter of the anti-terrorism court as welcome and commendable, the spokesperson said that the interference of state agencies in the judiciary and pressure on judges is the most serious issue confronting the country.

The PTI spokesperson called for an effective mechanism to protect the institutions and citizens from the devastating impact of the unbridled meddling of the spy agencies, saying all state institutions are subservient to the constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024