Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan to expand consultations on judges' letter alleging intelligence interference

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) of Pakistan will expand consultations regarding a letter from six Islamabad High Court judges. The judges accused intelligence agencies of interfering in judicial matters. This decision was made during a meeting led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi. The letter, which surfaced in March, called for a Judicial Convention to address concerns about judicial independence. The SJC also reviewed complaints against judges but found no substantial evidence to proceed with those cases. Additionally, the SJC plans to hold monthly meetings to address backlog issues and discussed establishing a secretariat to support its operations. The Judicial Commission of Pakistan also met to form a constitutional bench in the Sindh High Court.