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

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa is taking up former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s constitutional petition against his removal on December 14.

In October, 2018 the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) found Siddiqui guilty of misconduct over a speech he delivered in July 2018 at Rawalpindi District Bar Association. Siddiqui allegedly accused personnel of security agency for manipulated the judicial proceedings.

Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, in his plea requested the supreme court for early hearing for his application, which was pending since October 2018.

The former IHC judge has been seeking the apex court to declare his removal notification null and void. Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, was retired as a high court judge in June 2021.

The former judge in his application adopted the stance that the case was related to his basic human rights case and was pending since October 2018, adding that the last hearing was conducted on June 12, 2022.

In the fresh application, Justice Siddiqui stated that the matter was of public importance since the petition had raised important questions like the judiciary’s independence, the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution. Justice Siddiqui had moved several applications for early hearing in the past on a number of occasions.

Earlier, a five-judge larger bench led by former CJP Umar Ata Bandial heard Siddiqui’s petition against SJC’s decision.The petition is still however, undecided.

A five-judge larger bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa will resume hearing on December 14.The bench included Justice Aminud Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan.