ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Thursday reviewed complaints of wrongdoing, including some involving its own members, during a meeting chaired by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
The meeting was attended by Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) Chief Justice Aminud Din Khan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Sardar Dogar Muhammad Sarfraz.
According to a statement by the SJC, in a remarkable display of institutional accountability and transparency, the council decided to first take up cases concerning some of its own members. Meetings with varying composition were therefore held in accordance with relevant constitutional provisions.
The meeting of the reconstituted council was chaired by FCC Chief Justice Aminud Din Khan and attended by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Shahid Waheed and Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) SM Attique Shah as alternate members.
However, the SJC’s statement did not reveal the fate of the complaints filed against its own members.
It was stated that the council dealt with 23 cases in accordance with section 209 of the constitution and disposed of the agenda items.
The SJC did not share details of the 23 cases related to judges.
In March 2024, six judges of the IHC wrote an open letter to the SJC alleging intimidation and “brazen interference” in judicial affairs by an intelligence agency regarding politically motivated cases.
The case remains pending due to ongoing suo motu proceedings.
