ISLAMABAD: The judges of the subordinate judiciary are working independently and without any pressure, President District Bar Association Islamabad Raja Shakeel Abbasi said on Wednesday.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr Abbasi said judges of the district courts were presiding in their respective courts independently and in accordance with law.

“Being president of the bar association, I remain in touch with the judges; I also get input from fellow lawyers, and I never received a complaint against a judge that he is working under the direction of any intelligence agency,” he added.

In case a judge feels any interruption in his judicial work, he can send a complaint to his senior authority or raise this issue at an appropriate forum, he added.

District bar president dismisses suspicion of external influence on their work

It may be mentioned that the six judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) divulged in a letter sent to the Supreme Judicial Council that a sessions judge had been threatened, but instead of conducting a probe, the administration repatriated him to his parent department, Lahore High Court, and he is now posted in Bahawalpur.

Sources privy to the development said the IHC administration contacted the sessions judge to know the details about the intimidation. However, the judge responded in writing and did not raise this matter with the administration. Instead he stated that the junior judges had also been instructed not to allow any outsider in their respective chambers.

The sources said the judge was transferred because a party in a high-profile murder case lodged a complaint against the verdict for his leniency towards the accused persons.

Another sessions judge transferred during this period was one whose house was robbed, and the thieves took Rs5.5 million, $15,000 and gold ornaments.

A senior official of the sessions court told Dawn that there were at least four remedies available for the judicial officer in case someone tried to influence him or her.

He said that the judge of the sessions court can write to the registrar and the second remedy is the Member Inspection Team (MIT) at the high court level, where a serving sessions judge deals with complaints related to district judiciary.

The third remedy is to approach the inspection judge, who is a serving judge of the high court. There are three inspection judges in the IHC to oversee the special courts and East and West Sessions Divisions of the federal capital.

He, however, said not a single application or complaint was sent to the sessions judges or the IHC.

The district bar president said there was a possibility that certain quarters might secretly approach a judge, but this could not be done without the consent of the said judge.

In case a judge gives them a cold shoulder, such elements never dare approach them again, he added.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024