CJP Saqib Nisar. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Promising that justice will be done, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar assured Justice Shaukat Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday that he should have no fear of injustice.
He was hearing a suo motu notice and a petition seeking action against Justice Siddiqui at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.
The CJP made these remarks after reading the content of the oath he swore as judge.
On Saturday, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had directly accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of manipulating the domestic judicial affairs.
During his address to the Rawalpindi Bar Association, he maintained he did not know what future held, but swore that ISI officials were instructing judges and constituting benches of their own choosing.
SC moved to take suo motu of Justice Siddiqui's Rawalpindi speech
The CJP asked the IHC chief justice to comment whether allegations levelled against him were true or not.
He also asked him to obtain material and evidence from Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to substantiate his allegations.
The CJP ordered to transmit all such material/ evidence (if any) and the comments of the IHC Chief Justice to the Office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan for consideration and appropriate action, a release issued by the Supreme Court’s spokesperson stated.
According to the press release, the SC’s registrar had also conveyed the CJP’s order to the IHC’s registrar on Monday.
A day ago, the CJP took suo motu notice after the speech of Justice Siddiqui and obtained the transcript and record of his speech.
He said that allegations levelled in the speech cast aspersions and maligned the superior judiciary. It also implicated the IHC and some other national institutions, he said.
Abdullah Malik, President of the Civil Society Network Pakistan, who had moved a petition against Justice Siddiqui, withdrew his application after the CJP assured him that a strong judiciary existed in the country.
Later, speaking at a book launching ceremony organized by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, CJP Mian Saqib Nisar said that the judiciary was facing serious allegations.
He said efforts were being made to malign the judiciary and if the judiciary was weakened, it would be disastrous for the country.
“I had promised that democracy would not be derailed and elections would be held on time,” the CJP said.
Army seeks SC probe into IHC judge's allegations
“I am a very humble person. I am not arrogant at all. I will continue my efforts to dispense justice in accordance with constitutional (provisions) and prevalent laws,” he said.
Also on Sunday, Pakistan Army had requested the country’s apex court to initiate an appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of allegations levelled by Justice Siddiqui.
A statement issued by the military’s media wing stated that a judge of the IHC had levelled serious allegations against state institutions, including the judiciary and the country’s top intelligence agency.
In a related development, Justice Siddiqui wrote a letter to the CJP, requesting him to constitute a commission led by a retired Supreme Court judge to launch a probe into his claims.
The letter specifically stated that a retired judge of the apex court, who was not sworn under PCO, should head this commission.
He also demanded that the proposed commission’s proceedings should be open to public, lawyers and media persons.
Justice Siddiqui to be dealt according to law: CJP
Justice Siddiqui is currently facing a misconduct reference in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
The council will resume proceedings against him in open court on July 30.
The SJC also barred the media from commenting on the proceedings of the case against Justice Siddiqui.
“We direct that no media discussion, articles or editorials shall be written or published in this matter and no public comments shall be made…only proceedings of the council shall be reported,” said the two-page order.
In February this year, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) served another show-cause notice on Justice Siddiqui for questioning the army’s role in the matter relating to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Faizabad sit-in last year.
The council rejected the reply submitted by the judge.
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