Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday stopped a judicial probe from investigating the audio leaks involving, among others, judges of the top court.
A five-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Shahid Waheed issued their reserved verdict.
The bench in the order also suspended the operation of the federal government’s notification on the constitution of a judicial panel.
“In the circumstances, till the next date of hearing, the operation of the impugned notification No.SRO.596(I)/2023 dated 19.05.2023 issued by the federal government is suspended as is the order dated 22.05.2023 made by the Commission and in consequence thereof proceedings of the Commission are stayed,” the top court said.
The government last week formed a three-member commission led by Supreme Court judge Qazi Faez Isa and two high court judges to probe audio leaks which have surfaced on social media over the last few months and also involved a sitting judge of the court as well audios of relatives of the chief justice.
As the commission sat down to work, a set of petitions were moved by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid Shahid Zuberi, SCBA Secretary Muqtedir Akhtar Shabbir, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi seeking to declare the constitution of the commission illegal.
The chief justice during the hearing observed that the government had tried to interfere in the affairs of the judiciary as it appointed a judge as the chairman of the commission without seeking permission of the chief justice.
Attorney General Mansoor Awan had objected to the inclusion of Bandial in the bench but his objections were overruled.
The court after the hearing reserved the judgment which was issued later in the evening. The court also announced to take up the case on May 31.
The order is a setback for the government in the ongoing struggle between the executive and judiciary which began when the government refused to provide funds for holding elections in the Punjab province.
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