The federal cabinet has approved the formation of an inquiry commission to investigate allegations made by Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, with former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, appointed as its head. The commission, solely chaired by Jillani, will investigate claims made in a letter by the judges and has been granted 60 days to submit its report, according to sources cited by Geo News.
The decision comes after IHC judges, including Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Fafat Imtiaz, sent a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) requesting a judicial convention over alleged interference by intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.
The federal cabinet, in a statement, denied allegations of executive interference in judicial matters, terming them “inappropriate.” The cabinet emphasized the principle of separation of powers among state institutions as enunciated in the Constitution.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed his commitment to the independence of the judiciary and the constitutional separation of powers during the cabinet meeting. He also briefed cabinet members on his consultation and meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, following receipt of the judges’ letter.
Former CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, known for his balanced judgments and defense of judicial independence, retired from the Supreme Court in 2014 after more than 10 years of service, including a tenure as the Chief Justice. He has received several international awards for his contributions to human rights and judicial integrity.
