Pakistan anti-terrorism court judge accuses ISI of harassment to get desired verdicts

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court judge, hearing the cases related to attacks on military installations in May last year by workers of jailed ex-PM Imran Khan's party, has accused Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI of harassing him and his family members to get desired verdicts. Muhammad Abbas made the allegation in a letter to Lahore high court chief justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan.

The judge has been hearing the cases against opposition leader in parliament Omar Ayub and other workers of Imran's PTI party in connection with the May 9, 2023 violence related to attacks on military installations in May last year. Ayub had alleged last week at a hearing that the judge was "hostage" of the intelligence agencies.

CJ Ahmad Khan summoned Punjab IGP Usman Anwar on Thursday and asked him why the roads leading to anti-terrorism court (Sargodha), some 200 km from Lahore, were closed by police when the judge refused to meet an ISI officer. The IGP replied: "The roads were closed as the judge was facing serious threats". The chief justice reserved his verdict on the alleged harassment of the ATC judge by the ISI.

In March, six judges of the Islamabad high court reached out to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) informing alleged intrusion of intelligence operatives in judicial matters.

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