Nineteen judges of the superior judiciary in Pakistan have so far received intimidating letters containing hazardous substance.
Is not the timing of these letters important when superior courts are busy hearing election related cases. And a bench of the Apex Court has started proceeding on the issue of IHC Judges’ letter on an alleged influence of the executive and intelligence apparatuses in the dispensation of justice?
Equally important is on the hand that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is staying complete silent over the matter of threatening letters. But is just linking the IHC judges’ letter with the independence of judiciary in Pakistan. Doesn’t this mum of politicians, especially of the opposition, reveals that which letter concerning judges is more important to them with regard to independence of judiciary and political advantages?
As per details, judges of the Supreme Court including Chief Justice of Pakistan justice Qazi Faiz Isa, all he eight judges of Islamabad High Court including its Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and six of the Lahore High Court have received letters containing white powder since Tuesday. So far investigations of the police in this regard have disclosed that this suspicious powder is Bacillus anthracis which is a bacteria that can cause anthrax – a serious infection that can be fatal if an immediate treatment is not provided to the exposed. Another point of concern to be deliberated in this regard is that only judges of Islamabad and Lahore were sent these letters – not any in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces which obviously speaks that top courts of the federal and provincial capital are the center of major political cases.
The Counter Terrorism Department is also on the way to investigate these letters. Though according to police, a group named Tehreek e Namoos Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the suspicious letters, who is actually behind this malicious move, is yet to be fixed. The said group is not well known. What interests and benefits this group has when top courts are flooded with the said cases is yet beyond understating.
However, whatever is going on with the superior judiciary which also has thousands and thousands of common public cases should be a point of gave concern for all those voicing for the rule of law and independence of judiciary. On the other hand, at this point of time, Judiciary also needs to speed up restoration of its image particularly after injustice had been admitted in the case of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and few years back with another former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan yester has announced investigation of these threatening letters stating this matter as of a prime importance in context of the independence of judiciary. On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), despite being present most of time country’s courts filing writ petitions, even today has announced country wide protests. Both Umar Ayub and Asad Qaiser today have announced these protests after Eid again quoting IHC judges’ letter as its central point for judiciary’s independence.
People of Pakistan have realized that much politics has already been done on the said letter of the judges and now was the time for everyone to stand just for the rule of law and real independence of judiciary. It is the time to support judiciary with letter and spirit and for judiciary not to let past mistakes be repeated, citizens of Pakistan have demanded. They have also said that we as nation should stop whoever is behind this campaign and let us all jointly bring judiciary up in the world ranking for fair judicial system.
(Senior journalist Rana Kashif has authored this opinion)
