RAWALPINDI - Islamabad High Court Judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui for the second time in three days vented his feelings on controversial issues. On Saturday he lashed out at the judiciary for allegedly succumbing to pressure by security agencies.
“I was not included in Nawaz Sharif appeal case as I never compromise on principles and make the decision on merit without prior consultations with a premier agency of the country,” he said while addressing a raucous gathering at the District Bar Association in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
He said that the reason India is in a much better state than Pakistan is that never once India had to suffer through martial law. The exact opposite was the historical discourse in Pakistan, he said.
Justice Siddiqui further said that he was told that if he made decisions that appeased some powerful quarters, he would be made Chief Justice of IHC in September rather than November and that he will get relief in the reference proceeding against him in Supreme Judicial Council.
It may be remembered that Justice Siddiqui is facing the Supreme Judicial Council for a disciplinary hearing. The extreme result of that hearing may be that he can be removed from office. After a long insistence on an open trial, he was granted his wish and the disciplinary hearing is set to take place on July 30.
Meanwhile two days ago he addressed military top brass to ask that action be taken against the premier security agencies whose activities were irregular.
Yesterday again he took aim at a security agency and levied a series of allegations. After the Khadim Rizvi protest ended, he had also then taken issue with a representative of the Pakistan Army signing a paper on which Khadim Rizvi laid out the terms of ending the protest that crippled Islamabad.
He said yesterday at the Rawalpindi Bar that security agencies constitute ‘choice’ benches and cases are also being marked to selected judges.
Justice Siddiqui alleged that the security agency approached Chief Justice of IHC and conveyed a message to not grant bail to Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz before general elections 2018, besides constituting the bench for hearing the appeals of Sharifs as per their will. “The IHC CJ assured them that bench would be constituted as per their convenience,” he said, to loud jeering from the Bar crowd.
“I would prefer to die than selling my conscience. I don’t care about my job, I even know the consequences for sharing the truth to you, but I am not afraid even If I am assassinated,” he said.
He also criticised media for bowing down before the power corridors saying that due to particular vested interests and advertisements, the press is towing the line and not behaving independently.
Justice Siddiqui said that in the past, the judiciary validated and facilitated the dictators. He noted that Justice Munir invented the doctrine of necessity and was rewarded with the position of law minister in the cabinet of General Ayub Khan. Likewise, Justice Irshad Hassan Khan validated military coup of Gen Musharraf and was appointed Chief Election Commissioner, he said.
President DBA Khurram Masood Kayani, President Lahore High Court Bar Rawalpindi Bench (LHCBA) Hassan Raza Pasha, General Secretary IHC Bar were also present in the bar room during the address of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
A large number of lawyers attended the event and continued chanting slogans to support Justice Siddiqui and in favour of the independence of the judiciary.
