Minister calls former top judge ‘incompetent’
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that judges like former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohamed Chaudhry should also go through the process of accountability.
In a tweet, the minister wrote: “As a result of two verdicts of the former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry and giving $100mn to lawyers as their fees, the country now faces a fine of $1.4bn.”
“An incompetent judge can
be very problematic. A change is needed in the process through which judges are appointed,” he added.
The minister said that the topic had come under discussion in the last cabinet meeting.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has formed a committee comprising the attorney general and law ministry officials to suggest accountability measures for judges,” he said.
Last week the federal cabinet was informed that the country had paid more than $100mn in international litigation during the last three years of the government led by the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N).
Prime Minister Khan had taken cognisance of the huge amounts spent on international legal proceedings.
In 2018, Fawad Chaudhry on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) had asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to launch an investigation against the former chief justice and his family for allegedly receiving benefits in the scam of a failed Lahore private housing scheme, Eden Housing.
In a letter, Fawad Chaudhry had requested that the NAB chairman take action against Iftikhar Chaudhry, pointing out that otherwise questions would be raised about the impartiality of the NAB.
“Action should be taken against Iftikhar Chaudhry, his daughter, son-in-law and the father of his son-in-law for allegedly cheating innocent people who had invested their hardearned money in the Eden Housing Scheme,” he had stated.
In September 2018, following the arrest of his son-in-law in a case regarding the multi-billion housing scam, the former chief justice termed Fawad Chaudhry’s claims as lies and warned that he would file a case against the minister.