SJC takes up presidential reference against Justice KK Agha

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Wednesday took up a presidential reference filed against Sindh High Court Justice KK Agha.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed chaired the council meeting while the Supreme Court’s two senior most judges – Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Umar Ata Bandial as well as SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali A Sheikh and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah attended the proceedings. It was learnt that Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman attended the proceedings on behalf of the attorney general.

As the proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council are conducted in-camera, the outcome of Wednesday’s proceedings could not be ascertained. In 2019, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had file two presidential references against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, judge of the Supreme Court and KK Agha, judge of the Sindh High Court (SHC). The council had issued show cause notices to both the judges. Justice Qazi Faez Isa had challenged the show cause notice in the Supreme Court. However, Justice KK Agha chose to face the proceedings of the SJC. It had been alleged in the presidential reference that although KK Agha had declared his foreign properties in 2018 but did not disclose their value.

Seven judges including Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed had referred the matter to the Federal Board of Revenue, directing proceedings against the spouse and children of Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Recently, the same bench on April 26 accepted the review petitions of Justice Isa and set aside the short order of June 19, 2020.