KBA demands larger bench to probe interference in judiciary

The legal fraternity of the city on Saturday vehemently condemned the “interference of executive and operative personnel from intelligence agencies” in the judiciary, saying that such actions pose a threat to the stability and independence of the judicial system.

A general body meeting of the Karachi Bar Association was held the other day to discuss the letter written by six judges of the Islamabad High Court to the chief justice of Pakistan and senior pusine judges.

KBA president Amir Nawaz Warraich presided over the meeting, which was attended by lawyers in a large number.

The KBA said that the allegations, which echoed those previously made by IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, warranted serious consideration. “Had these allegations been properly investigated by the Supreme Judicial Council at the time, the current situation may have been avoided,” it said. The association made it clear that no interference by intelligence agencies or any other entity should be tolerated in the affairs of the judiciary. “Any such interference undermines the principles of judicial independence and the rule of law,” it said.

The Karachi Bar Association also took exception to the attendance of the honourable chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a meeting of executives. “We believe that such attendance compromises the impartiality and independency of the judiciary,” read the resolution passed at the end of the meeting.

“We reject the commission constituted for the resolution of the matter and demand the denouncement of such commission. It is imperative that any commission established to address issues within the judiciary remains free from executive influence to ensure the integrity of the judicial process.”

The KBA demanded that such incidents of interference by intelligence agencies in judicial matters must not occur in the future.

To ensure accountability and transparency, the association further called upon the chief justice to establish a larger bench to take action against all the agencies personnel who interfered in judicial work, and their proceedings should be held in public.

The KBA also resolved to file a constitutional petition on the matter and cleared that it reserved the right to convene an “All Pakistan Lawyers Convention” to determine the appropriate course of action in consultation with the legal community of the country if its demands were not addressed in a timely manner.