In a significant development, Justice (Retired) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has resigned from his position as the head of the inquiry commission tasked with investigating the allegations raised by judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
This announcement follows closely after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa initiated suo motu proceedings in response to the letter submitted by six judges of the IHC, leading to the formation of a seven-member larger bench.
It’s worth noting that on March 30, the federal cabinet approved the formation of a one-member inquiry commission to probe into the allegations against the IHC judges, with Justice (Retired) Tassaduq Jillani appointed as its head.
A declaration issued after a meeting of the Federal Cabinet highlighted discussions centered around the letter penned by the six honorable judges of the IHC on March 25, 2024. The meeting emphasized the necessity of establishing an inquiry commission as proposed during a meeting between Chief Justice of Pakistan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In a statement to a private news channel, Justice (Retired) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani disclosed that the government had requested the commission’s chairmanship and that he had carefully reviewed the Terms of Reference (TORs) submitted by the government before agreeing to lead the commission.
The backdrop to these developments lies in the letter penned by six judges of the IHC to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on March 26, expressing concerns about alleged interference and pressure from intelligence agencies on judges’ work.
The situation escalated after the Supreme Court invalidated and deemed illegal the dismissal of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui in 2018, declaring him retired instead. A subsequent two-hour full court session chaired by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to address the allegations raised in the IHC judges’ letter ended inconclusively on March 27.
Subsequently, discussions between CJP and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 28 led to the federal government’s announcement of an inquiry into the matter.
Attorney General Anwar Mansoor, speaking alongside Azam Nazir Tarar at a press conference in Islamabad, affirmed the government’s commitment to investigating the letter’s contents. He announced that the issue would be presented before the federal cabinet for further deliberation and the formation of an inquiry commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act, to be headed by a neutral individual.
