Pakistan: High Court Judges Allege Coercion by Spy Agency

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Facts

• Six judges of the Islamabad High Court have claimed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's spy agency, has been coercing them to influence their verdicts in cases involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan.¹
• In a letter sent to the Supreme Judicial Council, the judges alleged that the ISI was meddling in judicial proceedings 'to seek a certain outcome.' In one of the cases, the judges claimed they were forced to hear an appeal against Khan even after the majority rejected it.²
• The letter stated that the ISI placed hidden cameras in one judge's lounge and bedroom, while alleged ISI operatives kidnapped and tortured another judge's relative into making false statements. Islamabad said it had established a commission to investigate.³
• However, after the head of the commission recused himself, the Supreme Court constituted a seven-member bench to probe the alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs made in the judges' letter.⁴
• Since Tuesday, threat letters with a toxic powder have reportedly been sent to more than a dozen senior judges of the Islamabad High Court, the Lahore High Court, and Pakistan's Supreme Court — including Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.⁵
• After losing a confidence vote in April 2022, Khan has been charged in over 100 cases and convicted with sentences ranging from 10 to 14 years imprisonment for corruption, selling state gifts, and revealing state secrets.¹

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Voice of America, ³EasternEye, ⁴GEO and ⁵Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Economic Times. The judges bear witness to what is wrong with Pakistan and its democracy. The military and its intelligence services conspired with the US to have Imran Khan wrongfully dismissed from power because he refused to act as their puppet. They then fabricated allegations and pressed the courts to imprison him to guarantee he never again represented the will of the people. Will the Pakistani people stand by as the military steals what's left of Pakistan's democracy?
• Narrative B, as provided by Al Jazeera. The army neither interferes in judicial affairs nor uses intimidatory tactics to coerce the judges. Khan, who used his position to undermine democracy, attempted to dissolve parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote, which led to his removal. He is currently using his position to push Pakistan towards civil war. The government and the judiciary must exercise caution to prevent the current political turmoil from escalating further.

Predictions