In the wake of recent allegations of interference in judicial affairs by Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Babar Sattar, Attorney General of Pakistan Usman Mansoor Awan on Tuesday vehemently denied any government or state agency's involvement in constitutional matters of the judiciary.
Attorney General Awan, in a video statement addressing the media, expressed concern over the impression created by Justice Sattar's letter to IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq.
Mr Usman stressed that such allegations of interference not only cast doubt on the integrity of the judiciary but also strained the relationship between the judiciary and the administration.
"The government or any state body does not interfere in the constitutional matters of the judiciary," asserted Attorney General Awan, urging for a fair assessment of the situation devoid of any baseless insinuations.
The Attorney General clarified that the judge's reference in the letter was solely to a social media campaign. However, due to its dissemination through various media channels, as the principal law officer of the country, it was deemed necessary for him to address and clarify the situation.
Justice Sattar's letter
The recent controversy arose when Justice Babar Sattar penned another letter to Chief Justice Farooq, highlighting alleged attempts by security establishments to influence judicial proceedings, particularly in the audio leaks case.
Justice Sattar claimed that he was pressured to withdraw from scrutinizing surveillance procedures related to the case, a move he staunchly resisted.
In his letter, Justice Sattar expressed concerns that such interference could severely undermine the pursuit of justice, particularly in cases involving national security.
He noted that despite the dismissal of the audio leaks case, the focus of the malicious campaign seemed to be an intimidation tactic aimed at influencing the judicial process.
The audio leaks case, which garnered significant attention, involved notices issued to various government bodies and agencies, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), as well as intelligence and investigative agencies such as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
