Lahore High Court Orders Agencies to Stop Contacting Judges

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to issue instructions to all civil and military agencies, including Pakistan’s Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to avoid contacting or approaching any judge or their staff. This decision came after a complaint from an anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge in Sargodha, who reported harassment after refusing to meet intelligence officials.

Details of the Complaint

Justice Shahid Karim issued the directions following the complaint. The judge from Sargodha faced harassment, including damage to his gas meter and a manipulated electricity bill, after he declined a meeting request from an ISI official on his first day in charge on June 7.

Additional Measures

The court also instructed the Pakistani Punjab police to enhance security measures for ATCs across Punjab. Judges are required to download call-recording applications on their mobile phones to record any calls that may be attempts to influence judicial proceedings.

Previous Concerns

Earlier, on May 7, Pakistan’s apex court justice, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, expressed concerns that the government was not addressing alleged interference in judicial matters.