Justice Qazi Isa halts proceedings of Audio Leaks Judicial Commission

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Saturday halted further proceedings of the judicial commission formed to investigate veracity of recent audio leaks involving judges.

The judicial commission led by Justice Qazi Isa with Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan as members held its second meeting at the Supreme Court building in Islamabad.

Justice Qazi Isa remarked: “We cannot move forward following yesterday’s Supreme Court decision to suspend the notification for formation of the judicial commission."

On Friday, the apex court’s larger bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial stayed the proceedings of the judicial commission formed to investigate the veracity of recent audio leaks, allegedly related to politicians and judges, and suspended the government’s May 19 notification of its appointment.

The five-judge Supreme Court bench also stopped implementation of the May 22 order by Justice Qazi Faez Isa-led commission to conduct open hearings and make the findings public.

On May 19 last, the government had issued notification of appointing the judicial commission under Section 3 of the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017.