IHC to hear plea against judge in 2nd week of Nov

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed that the petition challenging the appointment of District and Sessions Judge Nasir Javed Rana be fixed for hearing in the second week of November.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana, who presided over an accountability court in Islamabad earlier this year, sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million corruption case.

Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar on Friday took up a miscellaneous application filed by petitioner Usama Riaz, seeking an early hearing of the main case against the appointment of Judge Nasir Javed Rana.

The chief justice asked the petitioner's counsel, Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi, what the matter was and whether it pertained to an order from 2004.

Advocate Rahi responded that, according to the Supreme Court's decision dated October 19, 2004, Nasir Javed Rana had been declared unfit for judicial service. Therefore, his appointment as a judge was illegal.

The counsel stated that the matter was related to the case of late Habib-ul-Wahab-ul-Khairi and had he been alive, he would have certainly pursued this decision; hence, this petition was filed.

The court, while ordering the case to be scheduled for hearing in the second week of November in view of CJ Dogar's indisposition, adjourned the proceedings.

The petitioner maintains that Nasir Javed Rana should be barred from performing his duties, and the notification of his appointment should be declared null and void.

It further states that if the petition is decided after his retirement, all benefits and privileges obtained after December 14, 2022, should be withdrawn, and he should not be considered entitled to any pension or other benefits.