By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD; The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed a petition seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the alleged 2021 audio leak of former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, related to the Panama Papers case verdict.
Justice Muhammad Asif of the IHC disposed of the plea after the petitioner failed to appear in court. When the case was called, no representation was made on behalf of the petitioner, leading the court to dismiss it for non-prosecution.
The petition had originally been filed by Salahuddin Ahmed, former President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, who urged the formation of an inquiry commission to examine the authenticity and implications of the leaked audio.
In November 2021, an alleged audio recording surfaced in which former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was purportedly heard giving instructions about the outcome of the Panama Papers case, which had led to the disqualification of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The leaked audio, which spread rapidly across media platforms, sparked heated political debate. Critics claimed it exposed judicial bias in politically sensitive cases, while supporters of the former CJP dismissed it as doctored and politically motivated.
At the time, the matter gained significant traction, with legal experts, political parties, and civil society groups demanding an independent investigation. Salahuddin Ahmed, along with other legal figures, moved the courts to form a commission for fact-finding. The petition had remained pending before the IHC, and in 2022, then-Chief Justice Athar Minallah had reserved a decision on its admissibility after hearing arguments.
With the petitioner absent in the latest hearing, the IHC has now formally dismissed the case, effectively closing another chapter in the controversy surrounding the alleged audio.
