ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and his wife declined to avail extraordinary protocol when they departed from Pakistan on 16th December 2023 for Turkiye.
SC Public Relations Officer Shahid Kamboyo, on Monday, in a letter to Saif Anjum, secretary Aviation, and Major-General Adnan Asif Jah Shad, director-general Airport Security Force clarified CJP Faez declined to use the VIP lounge at Islamabad Airport, while his wife Mrs Isa did not receive search exemption cards for spouses when they left for Turkiye on December 16.
Since the departure of the chief justice along with his wife Mrs Isa for Turkiye, a letter of ASF dated October 12, 2023, has been circulating in the media that the SC Registrar wrote to the secretary Ministry of Aviation on September 21, 2023, for exemption from body search for serving judges and Chief Justice of Pakistan at all airports has been granted.
PRO letter states; “This is with reference to your letter of 12th October 2023, which surprisingly found its way to the media immediately after Justice Qazi Faez Isa and his wife left Pakistan for Turkiye during the Supreme Court’s winter vacations.
“In the interest of full disclosure kindly also disclose the Registrar of the Supreme Court’s letter of 21st September, 2023 to correct the misconceptions. The body search exemption rule was not made by the Supreme Court nor was exemption sought.
“The Registrar had simply pointed out an anomaly, which was that the spouses of retired Supreme Court judges were exempt from body search but those of serving judges were not. Your letter while resolving the anomaly does not offer an explanation. And, neither the ASF nor the federal government is concerned about the security breach.
He narrated the facts; the coincidentally interesting timing of the letter, written 66 days ago, now coming into the public domain; immediately on Justice Isa’s departure from Pakistan.
He stated; “body search exemption cards for spouses have not been received. Departing from Pakistan, on 16th December, 2023, Mrs. Isa herself went into the cubicle of the ASF and was searched by a lady officer; the recording by cameras installed at the airport will confirm this; no exemption sought, nor given.
“Justice Isa was offered, but declined, the use of the VIP lounge at Islamabad Airport. The incumbent Justice Isa also declined the use of the luxury limousine which drives VIPs right up to the aircraft.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023