Islamabad High Court (IHC) witnessed a dramatic legal standoff when Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan launched a scathing attack over the unauthorised transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s cases on Wednesday.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the controversy erupted after PTI’s lawyer, Mishal Yousafzai, was denied access to Adiala Jail, leading to a contempt of court hearing.
The matter intensified when the judge took suo motu notice of the cancellation of the cause list and the case’s sudden transfer to another bench.
Deputy Registrar Judicial of the IHC, Sultan Mahmood, appeared before the court, and Justice Ejaz furiously questioned him whether the state supports transferring cases to a larger bench without the presiding judge’s consent.
He lashed out, declaring, "Instead of doing this, you might as well blow up my courtroom with explosives."
The court directed the Deputy Registrar to submit a written reply regarding the cancellation of the cause list and also sought an explanation from the Advocate General of Islamabad.
Justice Ejaz issued a strong warning, stating, “Does the Chief Justice have the power to transfer an ongoing case without the judge’s approval? What if a corrupt Chief Justice comes into power in the future? Will he have unchecked authority to manipulate cases at will?”
Expressing deep concern over interference in judicial matters, he said, "If the state has decided to win an ego battle, my presence here is useless. If Baray Sahab has already decided where this case should go, they should just tell me."
Justice Ejaz made it also clear that the issue was no longer personal but a matter of judicial independence and the dignity of the court. He further warned, "A guided missile has been turned toward us. If cancer is not treated early, it only spreads further."
Meanwhile, the judge turned to the state counsel, demanding an explanation from him: "Are you involved in what happened? Under which law was this miscellaneous application for case transfer filed? Does the state really endorse shifting a case to a larger bench without the consent of the presiding judge?"
Later, he adjourned the hearing until tomorrow, directing the deputy registrar to reappear for further questioning.