THE rot is much deeper than it seems. What the six brave judges of the Islamabad High Court have penned is just the tip of the iceberg. The shadow of the deep state looms large over the entire system. The letter detailing incidents of intimidation of judges is an indictment of the ubiquitous security establishment. It has triggered a chain reaction threatening the entire edifice.

This may not be the first time that allegations about the interference of intelligence agencies in judicial matters have been made — a former judge had even named names. But the detailed account of harassment narrated in the letter sent by the IHC judges is more damning, and fuelling an already volatile political situation.

Unsurprisingly, the legal fraternity rejected the government’s decision to form a single-member commission, led by a former chief justice, to investigate the charges as an attempt to whitewash the scandal. Now with former justice Tassaduq Jillani recusing himself, there was no option but for the chief justice to take suo motu notice. A seven-member bench has been formed to hear the case. The IHC six have spoken and now it is up to the apex court to uphold the sanctity of the institution.

At stake is not only the independence of the judiciary but also the future of an already tottering democratic process. It is apparent from the letter that the intervention of the intelligence agencies is far more pronounced in political cases. Manipulation through the judiciary has been a major instrument used by the security establishment to perpetuate its political control.

While the........

© Dawn