The Supreme Court on Tuesday is hearing a petition filed by former IHC senior puisne judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui against his removal.
A five-member bench — led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Irfan Saadat — is presiding over the hearing. The proceedings are being broadcast live on the SC’s website.
The judge had challenged a decision of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) about his dismissal from service and an Oct 11, 2018 notification under which he was removed for a speech he had delivered at Rawalpindi Bar Association. In his speech, Justice Siddiqui had accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of influencing the court proceedings and forming benches of choice.
A day earlier, former ISI director general retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed submitted his response to Justice Siddiqui’s petition. In his response, he rejected the allegations of his involvement in the constitution of IHC benches to prolong the detention of former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
The ex-spymaster claimed Justice Siddiqui had dragged him into the case for no reason.
In the previous hearing, notices had been issued to Gen Hameed, retired brigadier Irfan Ramay, former IHC chief justice Anwar Khan Kasi and former SC registrar Arbab Muhammad Arif.
More to follow
