<\/p>\n
Islamabad police on Tuesday filed a case on terror charges after all eight judges of the high court received threatening letters laced with a \u201cwhite powder\u201d.<\/p>\n
The first information report (FIR) was registered at the capital\u2019s Counter Terrorism Department police station on the complaint of duty clerk Qadeer Ahmed under Section 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.<\/p>\n
In the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com<\/em>, Ahmed said he worked at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and eight letters were received a day ago for each of the court\u2019s judges, including Chief Justice (CJ) Aamer Farooq. He said that the letters were dispatched today and received by the personal secretaries of the judges.<\/p>\n He said the sender was stated as a woman named Resham but there was no address mentioned. Qadeer said that shortly after, he was alerted that there was a \u201cchemical powder\u201d found in one of the letters. He added that the judges\u2019 staff were subsequently instructed to not open the remaining letters.<\/p>\n He said the police were immediately informed about the matter, adding that the sender had attempted to influence judicial decisions by spreading \u201cfear and harassment\u201d.<\/p>\n Ahmed went on to say that police personnel reached the IHC around 2pm and seized all of the letters, four of which had been opened by this time while the remaining four were sealed. He said that a \u201cwhite powder\u201d was found in the unsealed envelopes.<\/p>\n He said that a police team arrived to conduct an initial analysis of the powder. The complainant said the content of the letters that had been opened referred to an outfit, Tehreek Namoos-i-Pakistan, and criticised the judicial system and used the word \u201cBacilus Anthracis\u201d to issue a threat.<\/p>\n The anthrax germ Bacillus Anthracis sickens and causes death by proliferating in the bloodstream, where it releases powerful toxins. Infection is usually treated by a long course of antibiotics.<\/p>\n CJ Farooq had referred to the incident earlier today while hearing PTI founder Imran Khan\u2019s appeal against his conviction in the cipher case. During the hearing, he had said the issue was one of the reasons for a delay in the proceedings.<\/p>\n \u201cBasically the high court has been threatened,\u201d the IHC chief justice had remarked.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Islamabad police said an investigation into the \u201cthreatening letters\u201d has begun and would be completed soon by using all available resources.<\/p>\n The PTI also demanded an \u201cimmediate and comprehensive investigation\u201d into the matter, saying the incident was \u201cclearly intended to intimidate\u201d the IHC judges.<\/p>\n The development comes days after after six IHC judges wrote a startling letter<\/a> to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members last week, regarding attempts to pressure judges through the abduction and torture of their relatives as well as secret surveillance inside their homes.<\/p>\n The letter was signed by Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.<\/p>\n A day later, calls had emerged<\/a> from various quarters for a probe into the investigation, amid which Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa had summoned a full court meeting of the apex court judges.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had met<\/a> CJP Isa, and the two had decided to form a commission to investigate the concerns of interference in judicial affairs following the cabinet\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n On Saturday, the federal cabinet had approved<\/a> the constitution of an inquiry commission headed by ex-CJP Tassa\u00adduq Hussain Jillani to probe the allegations and decide whether these are true or otherwise.<\/p>\n On Sunday, lawyers and civil society members \u2014 in a joint letter \u2014 had urged<\/a> the top court to take \u201ccognisance of the matter in its jurisdiction under Article 184(3) of the Constitution as this issue eminently relates to public interest and to the enforcement of fundamental rights\u201d.<\/p>\n They had called on the top court to initiate suo motu proceedings as it rejected the \u201cpowerless\u201d one-man commission appointed by the federal cabinet to probe the claims.<\/p>\n A day ago, Jillani refu\u00ads\u00aded<\/a> to become part of the one-man commission esta\u00adbli\u00ads\u00adhed to probe the allegations of the executive\u2019s int\u00aderference in judicial affa\u00adirs, after which the apex court constituted a seven-member bench<\/a> to probe the claims of meddling with its first hearing set for tomorrow (Wednesday).<\/p>\nTehreek Namoos-i-Pakistan<\/h2>\n