ISLAMABAD: A five-member bench of the Supreme Court will hear former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s constitutional petition against his removal on December 14.

The bench is headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminud Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan.

Shaukat Siddiqui was removed vide notification issued by President of Pakistan on 11-10-2019 upon the recommendation of the SJC for making a speech to the Rawalpindi Bar Association on 21.7.2018.

The ex-judge IHC has alleged inter alia that the ISI was manipulating judicial proceedings and that the IHC chief justice had accepted ISI instructions regarding constitution of benches to hear cases involving the former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter.

The IHC ex-judge in October 2019 had challenged the SJC report and the President’s order in the Supreme Court. His petition was heard on different dates but till date it has not been decided.

Shaukat Siddiqui in his petition claimed that he had allegedly propagated a report against armed forces and judiciary in his speech before the Rawalpindi Bar Association on 23-07-2018. It is submitted that the speech cannot be made the basis for the removal of a judge.

The former IHC judge stated he was discriminated against for making a public speech while the worthy chairman of the SJC (ex-CJP Saqib Nisar) went on making speeches, addressing Bar Council, attending conventions and meeting members of the armed forces, including the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and even declaring that whole judiciary was incompetent. Shaukat stated that he only pointed out interference by some elements in the administration of justice.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023