Commission to make proceedings public after audio leaks
ISLAMABAD: A high-powered judicial commission investigating audio leaks related to the judiciary has announced that its inquiry proceedings will be made public.
The commission, led by SC judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, held its first hearing in the Supreme Court.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan also appeared before the commission. The federal government established the commission in response to widely circulated controversial audios that raised concerns about the independence, impartiality, and uprightness of the Chief Justices and Judges of the Superior Courts. The commission will complete its work within 30 days as mandated by the government.
During the proceedings, Justice Isa questioned the legal basis for the commission’s formation, to which the Attorney General replied that it was constituted under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 2016. The commission declared that it would conduct the proceedings publicly, with the possibility of holding an in-camera session for sensitive matters.
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Justice Isa assigned the responsibility of appointing the commission’s secretary and mentioned the inclusion of two elderly women in the investigation. The commission requested the Attorney General to provide mobile phones and SIM cards, with the phone number to be made public. The commission also instructed the Attorney General to engage the Punjab Forensic Science Agency for verifying the audio leaks.
Justice Isa clarified that the commission’s sole purpose is to establish facts and not take action against any judge or interfere with the jurisdiction of the Supreme Judicial Council. The commission has the authority to issue summons and notices to individuals and expects cooperation from government officials. The proceedings will be made public through advertisements and online publication of orders.
The commission requested AG Awan to issue notices to all parties concerned, ensuring proof of delivery. The commission directed the submission of audio recordings, certified transcripts, and relevant information by Wednesday. If a conversation involves a third party, they may participate in the proceedings. The next hearing is scheduled for May 27.
The commission will investigate several audio leaks, including calls related to case-fixing before a specific SC bench involving a former Punjab chief minister and an advocate, a call between the same chief minister and a sitting apex court judge, a call between former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and a senior lawyer, a call between a lawyer and a journalist discussing a case outcome, a call between former prime minister Khan and a party colleague regarding their links in the apex court, a call between CJP Umar Ata Bandial’s mother-in-law and a lawyer’s wife discussing SC cases and an unconstitutional rule, and a call between ex-CJP Nisar’s son and a friend mentioning his father in a political role.
