ISI springs into action over Justice Siddiqui’s ‘controversial’ remarks

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s top intelligence agency has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the remarks passed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui accusing the agency’s officials of influencing the judicial proceedings.

The petition was filed by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) through Deputy Attorney General Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed, stating that the IHC judge, while hearing a missing person case, unnecessarily embroiled it in a controversy.

The appeal, which will be heard by a two-member bench next week, pleaded the court to expunge the adverse remarks of the judge from a judicial order.

The orders caused defamation of the country’s premier agency, army and judiciary at the national and international level as the judge remarks are widely shared on social media.

The ISI also asked the court to impose the cost of litigation on the petitioner for filing an allegedly frivolous petition, Dawn News reported.

A case about alleged abduction of a man named Rabnawaz was filed by his brother Mohammad Iftikhar Raja with the high court, leveling allegations against the ISI.

When Justice Siddiqui took up the case about the alleged missing person, the police produced Rabnawaz before the IHC who informed the court that he went to Vehari on his own. But his brother Iftikhar insisted that Rabnawaz was abducted the the officials of the spy agencies.

Missing persons case: IHC judge urges army chief to rein in secret agencies' officials

On July 18, the high court judge while hearing the case expressed his displeasure over the alleged interference of secret agencies in the state affairs, saying they should focus on the country’s defense.

In the written court orders, Justice Siddqui also appealed to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa for barring his persons from intervention in the matters of other institutions, adding that the army chief should take notice of the alarming situation, reported an Urdu website.

He claimed “Judges’ lives are in danger as their telephones are being tapped by the officials of the security agencies”.

Addressing a representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), who appeared in the court, Justice Siddiqui said: “Your personnel try to form a court bench of their own wish and the army chief should be aware of the misdeeds committed by them”.

“Enforced disappearance of citizens, businessmen, and other influential persons has become a routine in the capital city”, he said in the written orders.

Saying the secret agencies should not cross the constitutional limits, the IHC judge ordered that interference in affairs of the judiciary, executives and other departments should be restrained.

He also ordered to send the copy of court ruling to the army chief, ISI director general, secretary defense and Secretary interior.