The full court meeting of the Supreme Court judges on the letter of Islamabad High Court judges about the ‘interference with the judicial affairs’ is expected to resume tomorrow, sources said on Monday.

They said the session summoned by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa could not make a final decision due to lack of time.

In the meeting, various judges expressed their opinions on the letter, the sources added

The IHC judges yesterday wrote a letter seeking guidance from the Supreme Judicial Council on doing duty during ‘interference with free and fair justice delivery’ after the top court declared the dismissal of IHC judge Shaukat Aziz illegal.

The move prompted calls from various judicial system parts for a probe into allegations of ‘interference in judicial affairs’.

The Pakistan Bar Council called for creating a committee to investigate the allegations of interference with judicial affairs

In a statement, the council said the SJC  is not the forum to investigate such allegations.

The CJP should form a committee consisting of three senior judges of the Supreme Court. The independence of the judiciary cannot be compromised."

In a statement, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said the allegations required “serious actions by the judiciary as an institution”.

“Such issues should be addressed in a befitting manner and any apprehensions/misgivings which might be in the minds of honourable judges should be adequately addressed,” SCBA President Shahzad Shaukat said.

In an open letter, SCBA Additional Secretary Sardar Shahbaz Ali Khosa urged CJP Isa to take suo motu notice of the matter under Article 184(3) of the Constitution and conduct a “thorough and transparent (live) hearing” of the case.

He also highlighted a “recent crackdown on journalists and media outlets who have reported on these alleged interferences”. He urged CJP Isa to summon prominent journalists across Pakistan to detail the “extent of interference and coercion that the free press is being meted to on an everyday basis”.

The IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) demanded the CJP hold a “transparent inquiry” into the matter and that legal action be taken against those involved.

It demanded that the “judiciary ensure independent decisions according to the law and the Constitution without fear or danger”. It also commended the six IHC judges for their “courage and bravery”.

The association said that if needed, it would prove to be a vanguard for the judiciary’s independence and “would take every step needed for the supremacy of the Constitution and the law”.

The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) demanded “immediate action against those intelligence agencies and personnel involved in such nefarious activities.

“We expect from CJP to act towards the protection of judges of the superior courts as well as the subordinate courts … and to create conditions and an environment in which judges can dispense justice without any fear or favour,” the LHCBA said.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) demanded that a judicial commission comprising three SC judges be formed to “investigate and probe the allegations and take firm steps to stop such interference”.

The Balochistan Bar Council also called on CJP Isa to take a suo motu notice of the allegations. In a press release, the council expressed its concerns over the matter and said the alleged interference in judicial matters was “condemnable and unacceptable in any circumstances”.

The bar council also demanded that the Pakistan Bar Council convene a conference of lawyer representatives from across the country to decide on a plan of action.

Similarly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council (KPBC) expressed “concern and reservation” over the alleged judicial interference described in the judges’ letter.

KPBC Vice-Chairman Sadiq Ali Mohmand deemed the IHC judges’ letter “a worrisome development” and added that “interference in judicial affairs by secret agencies is condemnable.”