IHC judges letter: PTI rejects SC bench of 'like-minded judges'

Source: The News International

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Monday rejected the seven-member larger bench of what it called the like-minded judges headed by the chief justice of Pakistan to probe into the six judges' letter documenting intelligence agencies' alleged interference in the judicial affairs.

Addressing a news conference here, the PTI leaders demanded that the matter should be heard by the full court of the Supreme Court and the proceedings should be televised.

The party's Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan termed the suspension of PTI founder chairman's sentence in Toshakhana case a ray of hope but he insisted that the sentence should have been quashed altogether since it was one of the around 200 'frivolous, bogus and politically motivated cases based on political vendetta'.

He made it clear that the PTI would not accept the seven-member bench, alleging CJP Faez Isa had constituted a bench of like-minded judges to get decision of their choice, which, he said, PTI would not accept come what may.

The matter, he emphasised, should be investigated through a full court and the court proceedings should be telecast live adding that judicial conference should also be convened, where all the judges should be allowed to share their stories.

Raoof said it would be a travesty of law to task a person with forming a commission to probe the matter in which he was a nominated accused, as the premier showed his intent during his meeting with former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani as the former wanted a decision of his choice. He noted that Jillani was a credible person and he took a right decision to recuse himself from heading a one-man inquiry commission to probe the interference by intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.

He claimed that Justice (retd) Jillani had endorsed the PTI's stance because they were also advocating that it was a serious matter, and demanded an investigation through a full-court.

Raoof congratulated the legal fraternity and bar associations for their unified stance and hoped that they would exert pressure in the same way so as to take the issue to its logical end.