In a democratic country like Pakistan, the political system often presents a picture of events to the public which is not even remotely related to the reality. This fraud of the democratic system enables politicians to easily hide their corrupt practices, undermining the confidence of the citizens they are elected to serve.
The federal government has set up a judicial commission to investigate the issue of audio leaks of judges. The commission includes the Chief Justice of Islamabad and Balochistan High Courts and the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Faiz Isa, who is heading the commission and basically this move of the government seems to be a step towards transparency and accountability.
However, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has challenged the formation of this judicial commission in the Supreme Court. Imran Khan is of the opinion that no judge should be nominated for the commission without the permission of the Chief Justice. He further states that the Supreme Judicial Council is already in place to investigate all cases of judges. If we look at this position, the reason for setting up another commission is incomprehensible and some questions also arise about the real intentions behind its setting up.
An important aspect that raises concerns about the impartiality of judges on the commission is their alleged biased behavior. Both Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court and Justice Qazi Faiz Isa are not considered by the majority of people to be impartial judges. Their open opposition to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and their remarks during the hearings of various cases are proof of their leaning towards a particular political stance. This lack of impartiality casts doubts on the commission’s action.
The federal government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed the commission to investigate the audio leaks of judges. However, if we consider the selection of judges for this commission, two questions arise. First, is the government trying to hide something, which is already in the public eye? And second, is the purpose of the formation of the commission to expose the facts of the audio leaks or to put pressure on the judges?
It is important that the government should focus on protecting the rights and interests of its citizens. The creation of various commissions and wasting time on so-called investigations could be seen as a tactic to divert attention from important issues and avoid accountability. The government should prioritize transparent governance, ensure that justice prevails so that public confidence could be restored over the country’s democratic system.
