Complaint filed with SJC against SC judge over ‘misconduct’

ISLAMABAD: A complaint was Thursday filed with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against a Supreme Court judge seeking his removal for ‘misconduct’.

Lahore-based lawyer Mian Dawood filed the complaint under clause 5 of Article 209 of the Constitution against the judge for violating the Code of Conduct issued under Clause 8 of Article 209 of the Constitution.

Dawood prayed the SJC to initiate an independent detailed inquiry against the judge in accordance with sub-clause (b) of Clause 5 of Article 209 of the Constitution.

Dawood submitted that the judge and his family members had been found involved in malpractices and misuse of power in a criminal-designed pattern during his service.

He further submitted that the judge used his position to facilitate his sons and daughter studying abroad and getting financial gains from Zahid Rafique.

He cited three audio clips in which former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had personally approached the judge to handle the case of Muhammad Khan Bhatti besides influencing him regarding the case of CCPO Lahore Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.

The perception is that these cases are being fixed in the court of the judge through Arshad Jehangir Jhoja, Additional Advocate General Punjab.

“It was also learnt from reliable sources that the education expenditure of the daughter of the judge studying in the UK was borne by Rafique who paid 10,000 UK pounds, periodically from an international bank account”, the petitioner alleged.

He further submitted that the judge was constructing a huge house in Lahore Cantt for which tonnes of steel had been provided by Zahid Rafique and this information was the talk of the town that multiple extensive postings/adjustments were facilitated using the influence of the judge and in return, he was compensated in the form of gold, foreign currencies, gifts, and share of varied percentage in settlement of property related cases (estimated benefits of approximately Rs2 billion) by his various front men including Zahid Rafique.

“In view of the mentioned information and facts, the misconduct of the judge clearly attracts Article 209 of the constitution of the judge his removal as Judge of the Supreme Court, Mian Dawood submitted.

He prayed that upon verification of the above facts, the judge is removed from his office under Clause 6 of Article 209 of the Constitution.

It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Bar Council the other day announced that bar councils across the country will separately file complaints with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against the judge on the recent audio leaks purportedly featuring a conversation about the fixation of a case with former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi.