Eight Islamabad High Court judges receive threatening letters containing 'suspicious substance'

Islamabad: Eight judges of the Islamabad High Court, including Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, have received threatening letters filled with suspicious substance, amidst allegations of interference by Pakistan's powerful intelligence agencies in judicial matters, a media report said on Tuesday.

The development, which raised concerns about security of the judiciary, comes days after six judges of the IHC addressed a letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faes Isa, complaining of meddling in the judicial affairs by the intelligence agencies of the country.

Confirming the reception of the letters, IHC Chief Justice Farooq stated during the hearing of a case that the incident contributed to delays in the day's hearings.

The Express Tribune newspaper reported judicial sources that when the staff of two judges opened the letters, they found powder inside and subsequently they experienced burning sensations in their eyes.

Swift action was taken, with affected individuals using sanitizer and washing their hands as a precautionary measure.

Upon receiving the letters, a team of experts from the Islamabad Police promptly arrived at the Islamabad High Court to examine the suspicious powder.

It has been revealed that the letters were purportedly written by some woman, named Resham and wife of Waqar Hussain but didn’t disclose her address.

The IHC authorities summoned the Inspector General of Islamabad Police and the Deputy Inspector General of Security to address the matter urgently. The letters were addressed to multiple judges, heightening concerns about the safety of the judiciary.

Additionally, the suspicious letters have been handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for further investigation.

The incident comes just a day after Chief Justice Isa announced to hold suo motu proceedings into the letter by the IHC judges about interference by intelligence agencies.