Islamabad High Court judges have requested the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to hold a judicial convention regarding the alleged interference of executive members, including intelligence agency personnel, in judicial matters.

In a letter to the SJC, six IHC judges – Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and Justice Saman Fafat Imtiaz – asked for guidance on how judges should handle and report actions by the executive or intelligence agencies that interfere with their official duties.

This request follows a recent decision by the Supreme Court declaring the removal of former IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui as illegal.

The judges supported Justice Siddiqui’s call for an investigation into his allegations and suggested expanding the scope of the investigation to determine if interference in the administrative and judicial functions of IHC and other courts is ongoing.

They also highlighted the lack of guidance in the SJC’s code of conduct for judges on how to respond to intimidation or interference that threatens judicial independence. The judges expressed concern about a potential policy by the executive branch, carried out by intelligence operatives, to intimidate judges and influence judicial outcomes in politically significant cases.

Furthermore, the IHC judges requested a judicial convention to address the issue of intelligence agencies interfering with judicial functions and intimidating judges, which undermines the judiciary’s independence.