SC orders former IHC judge to name accused persons in his removal plea

The Supreme Court (SC) ordered former IHC judge Shaukat Azizi Siddiqui to nominate the accused in his pleas by tomorrow.

Shaukat Azizi Siddiqui, in light of SC directives, moved an application for making ex-army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex DG ISI Faiz Hameed party to the case.

In 2018 , Former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Azizi Siddiqui filed a plea against his dismissal in the apex court. Siddiqui labelled serious allegations against personnel of a security agency, claiming that they manipulated the judicial proceedings. Siddiqui later was dismissed from the IHC.

Read Also : SC to hear Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui plea against his removal as IHC judge on Dec 14

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan is conducting proceedings on the plea.

Senior SC lawyer Hamid Khan while representing the former IHC judge in the case, was asked to narrate the transcript of the ex-IHC judge’s speech, which allegedly led to his dismissal.

Here, CJP Isa remarked, “If you are accusing someone, then make them a party,” CJP Isa said addressing Khan, asking him to nominate individuals in the petition.

“If you are accusing personalities, why did you not make them a party?” he asked Hamid Khan.The chief justice said that the said person might appear and accept the accusation or present his position on the matter.

The top SC judge said the individuals should be called out for their actions instead of institutions while terming the practice of defaming institutions a “disaster”.

The apex court conducted live proceedings of the case. It was shown on YouTube and the SC’s website. The hearing was adjourned to Friday at 10am.