PBC restores licence of ex-IHC judge Shaukat Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: The Enrolment Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Saturday restored the practice licence of former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui three years after his removal as a judge from the high court.

The decision was announced by the PBC’s three-member Enrolment Committee, headed by Justice Faez Isa and comprising Syed Kalbe Hussain and Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, who are the other two members, reported a private news channel.

According to sources, the PBC wrote in its decision that Shaukat Siddiqui was not sacked by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on the basis of allegations of corruption or moral decay, so the committee immediately restored his licence.

The committee restored Siddiqui’s membership with immediate effect after concluding that the decision of his dismissal as a judge was not based on financial corruption or ethical grounds.

“Article 18 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan also guarantees that every citizen shall have the right to enter any lawful profession or occupation,” it said, adding that the committee was satisfied to restore the licence with an immediate effect.

The PBC enrolment committee found that the SJC decision to remove Siddiqui had nothing to do with the corruption allegations against him. Hence, the committee ruled to restore his licence.