The Lahore High Court (LHC) has mandated the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to instruct all civil and military agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to refrain from contacting or approaching any judge or their staff.
Justice Shahid Karim issued these directions in a written order following a complaint by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge in Sargodha, who reported harassment after refusing to meet intelligence officials.
The case, initially taken up suo motu by former LHC chief justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, was continued by Justice Karim following Khan’s elevation to the Supreme Court. Justice Karim emphasized that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is responsible for the actions of intelligence agencies under his command.
In the order dated June 27, Justice Karim stressed the need to protect judicial independence and directed the PMO to ensure that no judge or their staff is contacted by any civil or military agency. Similar instructions were issued to the Punjab police.
Justice Karim also instructed that security measures for ATCs in Punjab should be implemented with the consultation of the respective judge, warning that non-compliance would result in contempt proceedings against police officials.
ATC judges across Punjab were directed to install call-recording applications on their phones to record any potentially influencing calls. Additionally, the order emphasized the expedited handling of cases related to the events of May 9, 2023.
The complaint detailed harassment incidents faced by the Sargodha ATC judge and his family, including tampering with utilities and receiving inflated bills, allegedly coordinated by intelligence agency members. The proceedings were adjourned until July 8.
June 30,2024
Source: Dawn