PPP files reference against LHC CJ

PPP has sent a reference to the President seeking removal of LHC chief justice under Article 209 of the Constitution.

The Pakistan Peoples Party has sent a reference to the President seeking removal of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif under Article 209 of the Constitution.

PPP Punjab’s finance secretary Aurangzeb Burki alleged in the reference that the LHC CJ behaves like an activist of a political party. He wrote that Justice Khawaja attends political meetings and makes speeches which has put his impartiality in doubt. Burki noted in his reference that the judge recently issued statements and made speeches which clearly flout Section 4 and 5 of the code of conduct made for the judiciary.

Moreover, he also made remarks about the Hindu community which hurt their sentiments.  He said that because of Justice Sharif’s soft stance towards extremists, the national security is at great risk, and his occupancy of the post is against judicial decorum, the Constitution and judicial code of conduct. He urged the President to send the reference to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) under Article 209 of the Constitution to disqualify him. He should also be made dysfunctional till such time the reference is adjudicated upon.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2010.