IHC orders to repatriate Judge Arshad Malik over misconduct

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered to repatriate former judge of Accountability Court-II Arshad Malik to Lahore High Court (LHC) so that disciplinary action could be initiated against him for violating code of conduct.

The notification, issued by IHC Registrar, stated, “The disclosures and admissions made by Muhammad Arshad Malik, District & Sessions Judge/Former Judge, Accountability Court-II, Islamabad in his press release dated 07.07.2019 and the affidavit dated 11.07.2019, prima facie, constitute acts of misconduct and violation of the code of conduct, which warrant initiation of disciplinary proceedings against him.

“Therefore, the chief justice of this court has been pleased to order to place the said Judicial Officer under suspension and repatriate to his parent department i.e. Lahore High Court, Lahore, with immediate effect, for disciplinary proceedings to be conducted in accordance with law.”

It may be mentioned here that the former accountability court judge had been suspended by IHC after surfacing of his video scandal. Judge Arshad Malik’s video scandal is already under trial in the Supreme Court. Judge Arshad Malik in his affidavit submitted in the Islamabad High Court stated that during the hearing of reference against the Sharif family, PML-N leaders tried to bribe and threatened him with dire consequences if he rejected to fulfill their demands.

In his affidavit, Arshad Malik said that he was tried to be blackmailed through his alleged immoral video. In his affidavit, he disclosed his meeting with former PM Nawaz Sharif in Jati Umra when he was on bail on medical grounds. He also admitted that he met other Sharif family members in Makkah.

It may be mentioned here that in the Al-Azizia reference accountability court judge Arshad Malik had sentenced former PM Nawaz Sharif to seven-year imprisonment.