Army asks Supreme Court to probe, take action on IHC judge’s allegation
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army asked the Supreme Court on Sunday to “take action” against a Islamabad High Court justice for his “serious allegations” against the “judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency”.
In a press release, the Inter Services Public Relations stated: “An honourable judge of Islamabad High Court of Pakistan has levelled serious allegations against state institutions including honourable judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency.
In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly”.
In an address to the Rawalpindi Bar Association on Saturday, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court referring to the country’s intelligence agencies had dishonestly claimed that certain quarters were interfering in the working of the higher judiciary.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had falsely claimed that “I was told that if I pass judgments on their directives then the references against me will be withdrawn,” he said, adding that, “I was also assured that I will be made the chief justice of Islamabad High Court in September and not even in November by withdrawing all pending references against me”.
In fact as per sources Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had in advance assured ‘Irfan Siddiqui’ of granting Bail and writing very strong verdict in favour of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Safdar in their Bail Petitions filed last week in Islamabad High Court but due to technical reasons and court holidays when the case was fixed before an other neutral and highly reputable bench, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was severely infuriated as he had tried all to fix the bail petitions before him as senior member of the Division Bench.
While hearing a case on Wednesday, Justice Siddiqui had claimed that phones of judges are tapped and their lives are not safe.
Hearing a case related to a missing person, Justice Siddiqui had remarked that members of an intelligence agency try to get benches of their choice made and the acts of such individuals should come to the fore.
Justice Siddiqui who himself interferes severely into the media affairs astonishingly further lamented, “Today, even the independent media has cowed down.”
Justice Siddiqui is facing plethora of allegations with respect to corruption, misuse of authority and granting favour through judicial verdicts.
Judiciary Working Independently: Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan
Earlier today, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar affirmed that the judiciary is working independently and free from any pressure.
He made the remarks while hearing a case in the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry.
In his remarks, Chief Justice Nisar observed, “I read about the remarks of a judge in Islamabad and was deeply saddened”.
“As the head of the judiciary, I assure that we are not under anyone’s pressure,” he said, adding that, “I strictly clarify that we are working freely and not under anyone’s pressure”.