Hailing the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges for raising their voice against spy agencies’ alleged interference in judicial affairs, incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan claimed that judges would send him “messages of helplessness”.
His remarks came a day after the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo motu notice of the IHC judges’ letter to the Supreme Judicial Council seeking to probe the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.
Last month, the IHC judges — 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 — wrote the letter to the SJC.
Following a meeting between Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a one-member commission headed by former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani was formed but later Jillani recused himself from heading the probe commission.
During his interaction with journalists in Adiala Jail today, the former premier said: “I salute the judges for raising their voice and hope they will save the country.”
Everyone knew about the “regime change operation,” he said while referring to his ouster from power in April 2022 that the former PM alleged that the result of a conspiracy hatched by the US in collusion with his political rivals.
Referring to his convention in multiple cases, the PTI founder said: “Judges used to send him messages that they are helpless.”
Responding to a question, he welcomed the decision of former CJP Jillani for refusing to lead an inquiry into the judges’ letter and the formation of a seven-member bench of the SC on the matter.
However, the PTI founder demanded the formation of the full court to hear the matter of the judges’ letter. “It is a serious matter and should be heard by full court,” he added.
The seven-member bench, however, is better than the commission, he said.
Backing the IHC judges’ allegations, Khan said that senior civil judge Qudratullah, who had handed seven-year sentences, each, to Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the “un-Islamic nikah” case in February, had told him that he could not organise valima reception of his son until he announced the verdict.
During the cipher case trial, the PTI founder claimed a judge went out for 10 minutes and handed him 10 years sentence while his statement was being recorded.
“Interference in the judiciary and the investigation of the judges’ letter must start with the [former IHC judge] Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui case.”
