A six-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan adjourned suo-motu proceedings over interference in judicial affairs after six judges of the Islamabad High Court claimed pressure from intelligence agencies in a letter till May 7.

During the hearing, the attorney general read out replies by the high courts as well as proposals submitted by them and the bar organisations.

The hearing was adjourned till May 7, with the attorney general being instructed to submit replies from the federal government.

Representatives of the bar councils reiterated calls for a full-court bench to be constituted to hear the case.

Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that there had been no instances of interference during his time as chief justice. He also said that the judiciary also had to be protected against attacks from within.

A seven-member bench of the court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, had last heard the matter on April 3.

However, the bench had been dissolved after Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself.

The written order of the first hearing of the suo motu proceedings of the meddling case had wondered about the judiciary’s response as an institution to the allegations levelled by the high court judges against intelligence agencies.

On page five of the 16-page order, it is mentioned that six out of the eight judges of the Islamabad High Court have mainly requested to undertake “intuitional consultation” against the background of the issues raised by them “to consider how best to protect independence of the judiciary”.

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They have also called for putting in place a mechanism to affix liability for those who “undermine such independence” and clarity for the benefit of individual judges the course they must take when they find themselves at the receiving end of interference and/or intimidation by members of the executive.

It had also called upon the main stakeholders Pakistan Bar Council, the Supreme Court Bar Association, the high courts, and the federal government for proposals in the matter.

This story will be updated with more developments.