IHC orders to expunge Justice Siddiqui’s remarks against ISI

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered to expunge IHC’s Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s remarks from his order passed on July 18, regarding manipulation of judicial proceedings by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Islamabad’s Advocate General (AG) Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri informed the bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb that IHC’s Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi had denied the allegations levelled against him by his fellow judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Saddiqui.

He informed the bench that Justice Kasi through Islamabad High Court registrar has conveyed him that no one has ever approached Islamabad High Court regarding constitution of the benches, adding he has never allowed any interference of any person or institution in the judicial proceedings.

“Justice Kasi has never taken instruction from any quarter while working as sessions judge or after his elevation to Islamabad High Court,” he said.

Subsequently, the bench accepted the Intra-Court Appeal (ICA), expunged the remarks from the order sheet and disposed of the case.

ISI through Secretary Ministry of Defence and federation through Ministry of Interior had approached Islamabad High Court against Justice Siddiqui’s order passed on July 18. Assistant Attorney General Khawaja Muhammad Imtiaz filed the appeal and stated that the single-member bench while hearing a habeas corpus petition unnecessarily dragged the premier intelligence agency into the controversy.

In the intra-court appeal (ICA), Ahmed stated that Justice Siddiqui’s remarks are “not only unsubstantiated and unfounded but also direct attack/allegation on the Appellants, the institution of Pak Army, judiciary” and specifically the Islamabad High Court’s chief justice and other judges.