SC adjourns hearing of ex-judge Shaukat Siddiqui’s plea till tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) deferred the hearing on the dismissal of Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui until 10 am on Friday (tomorrow). The five-member larger bench presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa heard the case, with live broadcasting of the proceedings.

The bench also included Justice Aminuddin, Justice Jamal Mandokhel, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan.

During the hearing, Hamid Khan and Barrister Salahuddin represented Shaukat Siddiqui and the federal government, respectively.

CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa, at the beginning of the session, remarked on the country’s movement towards democracy, noting that the apex court was evolving as a democratic institution.

Elaborating on his comment about democracy, CJP Isa clarified that when Justice Tariq and Justice Ijazul Ahsan declined to join the bench, he did not remove anyone from it. Hamid Khan, in his statements, highlighted that Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was dismissed based on a ‘speech,’ which he read before the SC bench.

He mentioned a reference filed against his client in the Faizabad sit-in case, indicating Jamsheed Dasti and a CDA officer as applicants. Khan claimed that former ISI chief Faiz Hameed, along with another officer, visited Shaukat Siddiqui.

In response, the CJP asked why Hamid Khan had not included the persons he was accusing as parties in the case. He emphasized the importance of avoiding a trend of criticizing institutions rather than individuals.

The CJP added that every institution comprises both good and bad individuals and urged Khan to name those he is accusing in the plea if he wishes to make allegations.

Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s counsel asserted that the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) did not permit them to designate former ISI chief Faiz Hameed as a respondent in the case. The CJP responded by giving them the opportunity to include him as a respondent, stating that they would not accept the accusations without allowing those accused to be heard. Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.