Another LHC judge receives threatening letter

ISLAMABAD: Lahore High Court's (LHC) Justice Ali Baqar Najafi became the latest judge to receive a threatening letter which has been handed to the counter terrorism department (CTD), sources told Geo News on Friday. 

According to sources, the CTD launched an inquiry into the matter and has filed two first information reports (FIRs) against unidentified people. 

Justice Najafi became the sixth judge to receive a letter as at least five LHC judges were sent threatening letters, creating fear in the judiciary. Additionally, four Supreme Court judges and eight Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges including its chief justice received letters. 

The letters were sent just a after the top court took suo motu notice over the allegations of six IHC judges against intelligence agencies.

According to sources, the CTD received the forensic report of the powder found in mysterious letters which had arsenic mixed in white powder.

They further revealed that the powder contained 10% arsenic, adding that a higher ratio of the material can be "very poisonous" and harmful to the human body and can affect the nervous system upon inhalation.

The investigators have obtained the videos of the CCTV cameras installed near the letterboxes in the sub-divisional post office Satellite Town, Rawalpindi.

The sources shared that the suspects in the videos are being identified with the help of Nadra.

Amid calls to probe the matter mount, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised the government would probe the matter of threat letters received by judges with suspicious powder, with a sense of responsibility to uncover the reality.

Addressing the federal cabinet, the prime minister observed that the sensitive matter should not be given a political colour.