ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has released a detailed four-page verdict authored by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, rejecting the Punjab government’s petition seeking the transfer of cases related to the May 9 attacks.
According to the judgment, the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court holds constitutional authority to safeguard judicial officers from any form of administrative interference. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s decision, affirming that such matters fall strictly within its administrative domain.
The court further noted that the reference filed against the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Ijaz Asif had been rightly dismissed due to lack of evidence. It added that personal remarks, whether favorable or critical, do not influence ongoing or future judicial proceedings and do not justify the transfer of cases.
The judgment emphasized that no bias was proven against the ATC judge and that the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court acted appropriately in declining to proceed further with the transfer petition.
The Supreme Court underlined that while judicial officers may receive praise or criticism, such commentary neither exempts them from accountability nor compromises their character. The verdict also stated that remarks made by the Chief Justice regarding the conduct of state officials remain within the bounds of administrative jurisdiction and are not binding on other forums.
The Punjab government had initially filed a reference against former ATC Judge Ijaz Asif and sought the transfer of May 9-related cases. Both the reference and the transfer request were dismissed by the Lahore High Court, a decision later challenged in the Supreme Court—which has now definitively upheld the High Court’s ruling.
