References against judges: President, PM would have committed dereliction of duty in case of inaction

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law and Justice and the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) Sunday said the references against Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice KK Aga placed before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) were duly concurred upon by the Attorney General for Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi, strictly in terms of law and the Constitution, in particular Article 209 of the Constitution.

In a joint statement released to the media, the spokespersons for the Ministry of Law and Justice and ARU said had the ARU, the Attorney General for Pakistan, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the prime minister and president omitted to lay the references before the SJC, they would have been alleged to have committed dereliction of their duties.

They said there’s a dire need to put into place an effective mechanism whereby the foreign assets of Pakistanis were detected and an action taken strictly in accordance with the law.

The statement said in order to bring the unlawful wealth back to Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan, immediately upon taking the oath of office, established Assets Recovery Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office with full support from all the relevant government department.

The Unit worked relentlessly with a view to achieving the set task.

In the course of its official duties, the spokespersons said the Unit detects properties of Pakistanis aboard and reports them to the respective departments.

Collaterally, the Unit also receives complaints about existence of properties of Pakistanis abroad and once a complaint is received, the Unit is bound to take an appropriate action.

In this backdrop, the Unit received a complaint/information in respect of the foreign properties of three judges.

Under the Rules of Business, 1973 the matter pertaining to judges falls under the umbrella of Ministry of Law and Justice. Hence the complaint/information was placed before the Ministry of Law and Justice for an appropriate action.

The spokespersons further said upon receiving the aforesaid complaint, the Ministry of Law and Justice directed the Unit, which also acts in collaboration with other government departments/institutions such as the FBR, NAB and FIA etc., to verify the contents of complaint, clearly suggesting that action, if any, would only be taken once authentic verification was received.

Accordingly, the Unit conducted verification and was able to receive certified copies from the land registries of the relevant assets, which were duly attested by the High Commission of Pakistan in the United Kingdom and notarized in the London.

This information was laid before the Supreme Judicial Council, in terms of two references duly concurred upon by the Attorney General for Pakistan, the prime minister and the president, strictly in terms of the Law and the Constitution, in particular Article 209 of the Constitution.

Without naming the third judge, who is serving at the Lahore High Court, the sources to Geo News that the reference against him was dropped as according to the information he had divorced his wife in 2015.