CJ constitutes larger bench to hear sacked IHC judge’s appeal

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed on Tuesday constituted a larger bench to hear sacked Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui's petition on December 9. The larger bench is headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, while Justice Sajjad Ali Shah has been added to the bench after the retirement of Justice Faisal Arab, local media reported. Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, in his constitutional petition requested the SC to set aside a report of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice on October 11, 2018.

President Dr Arif Alvi had removed Justice Siddiqui as judge of the IHC on the recommendation of the SJC.

Alvi had taken the decision under Article 209(5) on the SJC recommendation, under Article 209(6), read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution, a notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice stated.

The council unanimously agreed that while delivering a speech before the District Bar Association in Rawalpindi on July 21, 2018, Siddiqui had displayed a conduct unbecoming of a high court judge.

This was the opinion of the five members of the SJC, led by former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

In his petition, Siddiqui contended that he had been sacked without a proper inquiry to prove the claims he made during his controversial speech.