PDM’s Objections Over Court Bench Rejected

Islamabad (Court Reporter) The Supreme Court Friday rejected the objections of former Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government’s bench in the Audio Leaks Commission case. The government had constituted an inquiry commission on the alleged audio leaks of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial’s Khush Daman, wife of Khawaja Tariq Rahim, son of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Mazahir Naqvi, Abid Zuberi and Parvez Elahi. This inquiry commission was constituted by the government under the leadership of Justice Qazi Faiz Isa which included the Chief Justices of Islamabad and Balochistan High Courts. However, Abid Zubiri had challenged this commission, on which the court formed a five-member bench headed by the Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Hasan Azhar and Justice Shahid Waheed. The bench heard the case twice and stopped the Audio Leaks Inquiry Commission from functioning.

However, the previous government had objected to the three judges included in the bench, which included Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial, Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar. The court had reserved its decision after hearing the government’s plea on the bench, which was pronounced by Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan on Friday. Supreme Court dismissed the government’s objection petition against the three judges and the court gave a short judgment terming the previous government’s objections on the bench as an attack on the independence of the judiciary. Justice Ijaz while delivering the verdict said that objection to the judges is equivalent to attacking the court. The Supreme Court will issue a detailed decision on the case later.