Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has requested the initiation of contempt proceedings in response to a complaint lodged against him, as well as the alleged defamation he has faced on various social media platforms.
Following a social media campaign targeting him and his family, Justice Babar Sattar of IHC requested contempt proceedings. Justice Kayani, the most senior IHC judge after the chief justice, expressed that he felt “scandalised” by the campaign. Sources indicate that Justice Kayani mentioned a complaint lodged against him in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), as well as criticism from Advocate Mohammad Waqas Malik in a vlog and television program.
The day after Justice Babar Sattar of IHC sought contempt proceedings due to a social media campaign against him and his family, Justice Kayani, the second most senior IHC judge, stated that he felt “scandalised” by the campaign. Sources revealed that Justice Kayani referenced a complaint filed against him in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), as well as criticism from Advocate Mohammad Waqas Malik in a vlog and television program.
Justice Kayani mentioned the SJC complaint lodged against him, stating that the complainant had criticized him on social media.
The grievances expressed by the two judges were still pending as the formation of a bench to address the matter was yet to be established.
This was due to the fact that the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, Aamer Farooq, who was responsible for assigning the cases to a bench, was chairing a meeting of the Justice Committee of the federal capital.
The committee served as the highest authority overseeing the administration, functioning, and development of the judiciary, as well as addressing security challenges within the federal capital.
The meeting, held on Tuesday and chaired by CJ Farooq, was attended by District and Sessions Judge (West) Azam Khan, District and Sessions Judge (East) Shahrukh Arjumand, Law and Justice Secretary Raja Naeem Akbar, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali Randhawa, Inspector General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, and other officials.
Complaint against Justice Kayani
Advocate Malik lodged a complaint against Justice Kayani shortly after he, along with five other judges from the Islamabad High Court, penned a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council expressing their concerns about the interference of intelligence agencies in judicial matters.
According to Mr. Malik, a former general secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, the judge deliberately engaged in a campaign against the security forces by persuading and influencing other high court judges.
The complaint highlighted that the judge’s actions were not motivated by good intentions, as he was already facing inquiries that questioned his integrity and conduct on the bench.
This was likely in reference to a separate complaint filed against Justice Kayani in October 2023, which accused him of favoring lawyers he was acquainted with from his previous legal practice.
Advocate Malik’s complaint contended that intelligence agencies were responsible for monitoring the potential criminal activities of judges, but they had failed to fulfill this duty.
Allegations were made that the communication from six IHC judges was an attempt to incite emotions among supporters of a political party, and had, in reality, tarnished the reputation of a judge who engaged in political activities for his own benefit. The petition called for measures to be taken against the judge in accordance with Article 209 of the Constitution.
