CJP takes notice of video clip threatening Justice Qazi Faez Isa

Published June 25, 2020
Justice Isa's wife, Sarina Isa, had informed police that the life of her family was in danger as they were receiving threats. — SC website/File
Justice Isa's wife, Sarina Isa, had informed police that the life of her family was in danger as they were receiving threats. — SC website/File

Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed on Thursday took notice of a video clip containing "derogatory, contemptuous, and scandalous language" against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

A statement by the apex court said: "The [CJP] has taken notice of [a] video clip viral on social media containing derogatory, contemptuous and scandalous language against the institution of judiciary and honorable judges."

The matter was fixed for hearing for tomorrow (Friday) before Bench-1.

A copy of the statement issued by the Supreme Court.
A copy of the statement issued by the Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, Justice Isa's wife, Sarina Isa, had informed police that the life of her family was in danger as they were receiving threats and had requested officials to register a case against those who were threatening and harassing her family.

She had filed an application at Islamabad’s Secretariat Police Station.

“I am the wife of Mr Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is a judge of the Supreme Court, and to whom a death threat has been extended,” she said in her complaint, adding that a person in a video had said that her husband should be shot publicly.

She also submitted a USB containing the threatening video message.

A search on the internet revealed the name of the person painting a target mark on my husband’s picture to be Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza, she said, adding that she had enclosed printouts of two documents which she had obtained from links appearing in the video, but did not know if this was his real name.

“As you must know many powerful people are not happy with my husband and I suspect that this death threat to my husband is in continuation of what we have been facing,” she said, adding that her father was seriously ill and today was the first day she had stepped out of the house after a long time.

“I do not want to lose my husband,” the complainant said.

Threatening to murder a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was the worst kind of terrorism, the complaint stated, adding that many powerful people wanted to get rid of Justice Isa and it was the duty of the police to find out who they were and to arrest them.

Last week, the SC had thrown out the presidential reference against Justice Isa, terming it “invalid”.

“[The reference] is declared to be of no legal effect whatsoever and stands quashed,” read the majority (9-1) short verdict on a petition filed by Justice Isa and others seeking the reference's dismissal.

The reference filed against Justice Isa — in line to become the chief justice on September 18, 2023, for 13 months — by the government in May last year alleged that he had acquired three properties in London on lease in the name of his wife and children between 2011 and 2015, but did not disclose them in his wealth returns

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