‘Politically affiliated’ social media accounts behind propaganda against judges: report

ISLAMABAD: In an alarming development, it has emerged that social media accounts — fuelling propaganda and slander against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and other Supreme Court (SC) judges — are “linked” to a particular political party.

The report prepared by multiple federal investigative agencies disclosed that the slanderous campaign targetting the apex court’s judges — based on an old Aviation Division letter — was “pre-planned”.

The findings refer to the social media uproar that erupted on the issuance of an Aviation Division letter about the exemption of serving judges and their spouses from body searches at airports.

Subsequently, the Airport Security Force (ASF) director general — on the directive of the aviation secretary — issued an order “exempting the spouses of serving judges and Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan from body search at all airports,” Geo News reported on December 17.

However, the apex court later issued a clarification stating that it never sought exemption for serving judges’ wives from body searches at airports.

In his letter to the Aviation Ministry, SC Public Relations Officer (PRO) Shahid Kamboyo denied receiving body search exemption cards for spouses of judges highlighting that CJP Isa’s wife — while departing from Pakistan on December 16, 2023 — herself went into the cubicle of the ASF and was searched by a lady officer.

The body-search exemption rule was not made by the SC nor was exemption sought, the letter read, adding that the Registrar had simply pointed out an anomaly, which was that the spouses of retired Supreme Court judges were exempt from body-search, but those of serving judges were not.

The report further underscores that the aviation division’s notification issued on October 12 found its way on social media after 60 days via an account associated with a political party — and that the defamatory campaign against the judges continued despite the top court’s clarification.

Lamenting the trend of pressurising the judges via online trolls, analysts believe that targeting the chief justice and other judges might be aimed at influencing cases being heard by them.

Meanwhile, legal experts have called for stern action to be taken against those responsible for defamatory propaganda against the apex court.