Key Points
Pakistan's Supreme Court announced on Monday its intention to investigate accusations of meddling by the nation's intelligence agencies in judicial matters, as detailed in a notable letter from six high court judges...
The backdrop of this controversy is steeped in the long-standing tension between Pakistans judiciary and its powerful military establishment..
On March 26, six judges from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) made an unprecedented move by writing a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), expressing worries about what they termed as "blatant interference" by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's leading military intelligence agency, in legal affairs..
Past episodes of friction between the judiciary and the military, like the dismissal of former IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, highlight the difficulties judges encounter in preserving judicial autonomy amidst external influences..
Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Qazi Faez Isa said, "Meddling by the executive in the affairs and 'judicial workings of judges will not be tolerated' come what may."IHC Judges in the letter: The judges detail brazen meddling and instances of intimidation, including efforts to influence the outcome of cases and the abduction and torture of relatives...
