Rawalpindi Bar speech: SJC serves notice on Justice Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Wednesday served a show-cause notice on Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), directing him to submit his reply by August 28.

It was learnt that the SJC issued a show-cause notice to Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui over his speech while addressing the Rawalpindi District Bar last month. The SJC is the only constitutional authority mandated by Article 209 of the Constitution of Pakistan to conduct inquiries into allegations of incapacity or misconduct against a judge of the Supreme Court or of a high court. The council consists of Chief Justice of Pakistan, the two next senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, and the two most senior chief justices of high courts. The council directed Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to submit his reply by August 28.

It is pertinent to mention here that on July 21, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, while addressing the Bar, alleged meddling in the judiciary’s affairs by the 'powerful quarters' and blamed the higher judiciary for the country's 'deplorable' and blamed the higher judiciary for the country's 'deplorable' state of affairs.

At this, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while hearing a case had expressed his reservations about the speech of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqi and had observed that he was deeply saddened on the remarks of the judge.

Later on, the Chief Justice of Pakistan took suo motu notice of the speech of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui after the Pakistan Army requested the Chief Justice to do the needful.

In its press release issued the same day, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that a judge of Islamabad High Court has leveled serious allegations against state institutions including judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency.

In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly,” it had added.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC ) headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Chief Justices of Sindh and Balochistan High Courts for the first time is hearing in an open court, a complaint against the IHC judge.

The complaint was filed by a retired employee of Capital Development Authority (CDA) against Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui alleging the learned judge of misusing of funds for the refurbishment of his official residence.

Justice Siddiqui had requested the Council to conduct the proceedings of the instant compliant filed against him in an open court. The Council the other day had adjourned the hearing for a week after Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Javed had suggested to the court that former Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq who was the prosecutor in the said complaint should be asked to assist the court. The court then adjourned the hearing for a week as it was told that Maulvi Anwarul Haq is abroad and will return in first week of August.