ISLAMABAD , May 20, 2023: The federal government has formed a three-member inquiry commission to investigate the leaked audios allegedly involving the judiciary and former chief justices and a judge, saying the conversations had raised apprehensions over impartiality of judges.
The three-member commission is headed by Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faez Isa while Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq are its members.
A notification issued by the government said, “Whereas, recently wide circulations of controversial audios have been witnessed on the national electronic, print and social media, allegedly regarding the Judiciary and former Chief Justices/Judges, conversation raising serious apprehensions about the independence, impartiality and uprightness of the Chief Justices/Judges of the Superior Courts in the administration of justice”.
It added that such audio leaks had eroded public trust and serious concerns had been raised by the general public regarding “independence, impartiality and uprightness of the Chief Justices/Judges of the Superior Courts”.
As the integrity and character of chief justices/judges is of utmost importance for keeping the public trust and confidence in the administration of justice, the government said it was imperative to inquire into the authenticity and veracity of these audio leaks in order to restore credibility of the judiciary.
The commission will investigate the veracity of several audio leaks, including a call between the mother-in-law of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and wife of a lawyer regarding cases in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and hoping for unconstitutional rule.
The commission will start the investigation immediately and submit the report to the government within 30 days.
Audio leaks to be investigated
• Call between former Punjab CM and an advocate about a SC judge
• Call between former Punjab CM and an advocate on filing some cases before a particular SC bench
• Call between former Punjab CM and SC chief justice
• Call between former CJP Saqib Nisar and a lawyer
• Call between a journalist and a lawyer on verdict of a case in SC
• Call between PTI chief Imran Khan and his party member about proceedings of a case before SC
• Call between CJP Bandial’s mother-in-law and a lawyer’s wife
• Call between ex-CJP Nisar’s son Najam Saqib and his friend on his father’s role in politics
Imran urges govt to “empower commission” to conduct fair probe
As an alleged audio of PTI chief Imran Khan surfaced wherein he could be heard beseeching a US congresswoman to raise her concerns against violation of human rights as well as the rule of law amid crackdown on the PTI, he questioned the the Terms of Reference formed by the federal government writing on Twitter, “They fail to take into account the issue that who is behind unlawful and unconstitutional surveillance of PM office and sitting judges of the Supreme Court”.
He demanded empowering the commission to conduct a fair probe writing, “Not only those who illegally retrieve data through unlawful phone tapping and surveillance should be held accountable but those who through fabrication and tampering of different phone calls leak them on social media also need to be held accountable”.