Military asks SC to probe judge allegations

islamabad — The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to “initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations” made by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court.

“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,” reads the Press release shared by Director General of ISPR Maj-Gen. Asif Ghafoor on Twitter.

The statement shared by the army’s media wing says that “in order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions”, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to “initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly.” Earlier on Sunday, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar took “serious notice of a speech delivered by Justice Siddiqui alleging interference of intelligence agencies of the country in judicial matters”. The top judge has also called for complete record of the speech from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

Justice Siddiqui, while addressing the Rawalpindi Bar Association on Saturday, had claimed that the agency’s personnel were manipulating judicial proceedings against the Sharif family.

“Their [the agency’s] personnel get benches formed at their will,” Justice Siddiqui had alleged.

He had further said that the spy agency had approached IHC Chief Justice Mohammed Anwar Khan Kasi and said: “We do not want to let Nawaz Sharif and his daughter come out [of the prison] until elections, do not include Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on the bench [hearing Sharifs’ appeals].”

“I know who takes whose message to the Supreme Court,” Justice Siddiqui had further said.

He had asked: “Why was the administrative control of the accountability court taken away from the Islamabad High Court?”

He had further alleged that the judiciary’s freedom has been divested and that it is now in control of “those with guns”. “I was told that ‘if you assure us of decisions in our favour, we will end references against you’,” Justice Siddiqui had claimed. —

Why was the administrative control of the accountability court taken away from the Islamabad High Court? Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui,

Judge of Islamabad High Court