The Supreme Court has clarified its stance on the exemption of serving judges’ wives from body searches at airports. Contrary to previous assumptions, the Court has never sought such exemptions.
The clarification came after a letter was sent to the Aviation Ministry highlighting an “anomaly” in the current security procedures. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa made a statement by declining the use of VIP facilities at the Islamabad airport.
According to SC Public Relations Officer (PRO) Shahid Kamboyo, Justice Isa refused to use the VIP lounge and a luxury limousine, which are generally offered to transport VIPs directly to the aircraft. This move by the Chief Justice aligns with a more modest approach to official privileges.
Read: Pakistan Exempts Judges from Airport Body Searches
The letter, addressed to key aviation officials, clarified that body search exemption cards for judges’ spouses had not been issued. Emphasizing this point, the letter mentioned that CJP Isa’s wife underwent a standard security procedure by a lady officer of the Airport Security Force (ASF).
The letter from the PRO also requested the disclosure of previous correspondence from the Registrar of the Supreme Court aimed at correcting misconceptions about the body-search exemption rule. The letter noted was not established by the Supreme Court, and no exemption was sought; it was simply a matter of addressing an inconsistency in the treatment of spouses of retired and serving judges.
