Pakistan Judiciary On Edge: Arsenic-Laced Letters To Top Judges Linked To The Dark Underbelly Of ISI

The discovery of arsenic-laced powder in letters sent to judges of Pakistan’s Supreme Court and high courts has raised concerns over the safety of the top judiciary and exposed the dark underbelly of the country’s notorious spy agency ISI.

The current judicial row is linked to a conflict between current and former chiefs of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), according to exclusive inputs obtained by CNN-News18. The forensic report recently revealed the presence of arsenic in the suspicious powder found in envelopes delivered to judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC). These letters, sealed with cello tape and bearing threatening messages, raised alarms as they accused the judges of being responsible for the nation’s problems.

It is believed that six judges took a drastic step to write the letter, after the advice of former ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. This revelation, expected to unravel in the coming days, is also connected to the sacking of IHC puisne judge Shoukat Aziz Siddiqui. Two days before the revelation of arsenic-laced letters was made, the Supreme Court of Pakistan overturned an October 2018 notification, which led to the dismissal of Siddiqui. His dismissal stemmed from serious allegations leveled by Justice Siddiqui against Faiz, including alleged pressure to sentence former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017.

As the judicial row unfolds, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged a thorough probe into the matter. “The government of Pakistan, with a sense of responsibility, will investigate this,” Sharif stated during a cabinet meeting. The letters, delivered to the judges’ offices, contained references to Tehreek-i-Namoos Pakistan and included the English term “Bacillus Anthracis.” The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has registered cases in Islamabad and Lahore in response to the alarming discovery.

The gravity of the situation deepened as it emerged that the powder was also found in letters addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and other senior justices. Earlier, the envelopes were discovered by the Pak judges’ personal staff during routine mail checks, triggering immediate action from the Islamabad High Court registrar. Reports of six IHC judges expressing concerns about alleged interference by the country’s security apparatus in judicial matters have added to the controversy.