The Supreme Judicial Council decided on Friday to take action against those filing “frivolous” complaints against judges as the council rejected the complaints against six Islamabad High Court judges because of lack of evidence.

“The Council examined ten complaints against the judges under Article 209 of the Constitution filed by different people and held that no substantial evidence has been adduced by the complainants, therefore the Council has filed those complaints,” the SJC statement said.

A six IHC judges’ letter to the SJC in March regarding the judicial meddling claims was also on the agenda item of the meeting.

They accused the country’s intelligence apparatus of interference in judicial affairs, including attempts to pressure judges through abduction and torture of their relatives and secret surveillance inside their homes.

The letter, dated March 25, has been signed by six out of eight IHC judges including Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

It merits here mentioning that a suo motu case pertaining to allegations regarding interference in judicial matters is pending.

On May 7, 2024, the hearing was adjourned for an indefinite period till the availability of the bench where Justice Athar Minallah had remarked that the “truth was hidden for 76 years”.

On Friday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi presided over the SJC meeting. Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Munib Akhtar, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar attended the meeting.

The council discussed the issue of rule-making of the council and the establishment of its secretariat. The SJC agreed to the proposal of the registrar and decided that rulemaking process of the council should be undertaken and a draft should be placed before the council in the next meeting.

The SJC authorised the chairman to hire the services of a competent individual with proven ability to work as the council’s secretary for a period of three months who would be tasked to assist the council in conducting its meetings, oversee rule making exercise, and firm up infrastructure and human resource requirements of the council’s secretariat.

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It also discussed the agenda items regarding amendments in the code of conduct of judges. The council considered “different options and modalities in this regard and decided to widen the consultation on the subject as the code applies to the heads of different institutions in addition to judges and decided to take up the matter in the next meeting once again.”

It added that the council has decided to hold regular meetings on monthly basis in future to clear the backlog on fast track. “In case of frivolous complaints, action will be taken against the complainants in accordance with law.”