IHC orders disciplinary action against video scandal judge

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered disciplinary proceedings against Accountability Court judge Arshad Malik for violating the code of conduct, Geo News reported.

The court order against former Accountability Court II judge Malik stated: “The disclosures and admissions made by Mr 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 Hon’able 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.”

Judge Malik, after becoming embroiled in the so-called judge video scandal, had penned a letter to the IHC in July wherein he had refuted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s claims and revealed other information related to the controversy.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, Malik had denied the contents of the video — which purportedly showed him admitting to a lack of evidence against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif — and termed them edited, fabricated, and aimed to defame him.

The Supreme Court will announce its verdict on petitions regarding judge Malik’s video scandal on Friday (today). The case is being heard by a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.

Last month, the Supreme Court took up the case on a petition submitted by a citizen named Ishtiaq Ahmed, who appealed to the apex court for an independent judicial inquiry of the video scandal. On July 12, judge Malik was relieved from his duties by the federal government for his alleged involvement in the controversial video scandal.