Ali Siddiqui’s appointment not our purview: IHC

ISLAMABAD: Hearing a petition challenging the appointment of Ali Jehangir Siddiqui as Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington, Justice Athar Minallah of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday remarked that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had raised no objection to Siddiqui’s appointment and it did not affect career diplomats. The judge also observed that Siddiqui’s appointment was a policy matter not falling within the court jurisdiction.

“Moreover, the petitioner is also not aggrieved,” the bench remarked. Waseem Sajjad advocate, Legal counsel for the petitioner Shahzad Siddique Alvi, argued that as per policy 80% ambassadors were appointed from career diplomats and 20% from other fields.

Ali Jehangir Siddiqui was a person against whom inquiries were pending with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB has already recommended putting his name on the ECL.