Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court has opened a new Pandora’s box after he wrote a letter to Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, drawing his attention to crucial matters.

The copies of the 4-page letter, which came ahead of the full court meeting at the Islamabad High Court scheduled for today (Wednesday), have also been sent to other judges and the registrar of the Islamabad High Court.

In his letter, Justice Babar Sattar asks, “Do the judges of the Islamabad High Court today believe that they are fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities? Do they believe that citizens still view them as protectors of their fundamental rights? Has the Islamabad High Court made efforts to establish the district judiciary as an independent institution?”

The letter highlights a lack of transparency in the preparation of the roster and case fixation process.

“Every day in our judgments, we tell officials that they are not kings, nor are their powers without limits or accountability.”

The letter criticises the assignment of cases, stating that senior judges are being overlooked, while transferred and additional judges are being allocated cases.

“When exercising administrative authority, should judges and the Chief Justice not remember that they are not monarchs, but public officials?”

Justice Babar Sattar further alleges that, “Your office has refused to issue cause lists in certain cases, which undermines judicial independence. We have witnessed situations where rosters were issued that excluded me and others from single benches.”

The letter also points out that “senior judges were excluded from the administrative committee, in violation of established rules, and additional and transferred judges were included instead”.

“The requirement of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for judges wishing to travel abroad is likened to placing judges on the Exit Control List (ECL),” the letter added.

Justice Sattar observed that “it takes decades to build institutions, but only a short time to destroy them”.