Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri has moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking early hearing of his constitutional petition against an IHC order restraining him from hearing cases. The bench noted that until the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) — the accountability forum, which has also been approached against Justice Jahangiri — decides the matter, the judge could not handle cases. On September 19, five IHC judges went to the SC in person to file separate constitutional petitions, making eleven different prayers including one seeking quashing of the IHC order barring Justice Jahangiri from judicial work. He said the case concerned important questions of law relating to the functioning judge of the high court and the independence of the judiciary, which were of grave concern to any jurisdiction. "The crucial decision to restrain a judge from performing his function was made without even hearing the counter position.