Shafi BalochUpdated July 22, 2018
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), via Twitter on Sunday, 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 leveled serious allegations against state institutions, including honorary 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 Mian 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 (Pemra).
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.
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He had further claimed that the spy agency had approached IHC Chief Justice Muhammad 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]'."
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The judiciary & military
"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, who faces a corruption reference later this month, had claimed, adding that he was offered to be made chief justice of the high court by September.
'No pressure on judiciary'
Chief Justice Nisar, during his day-long visit to Karachi on Sunday, told reporters: "Being the top judge, I am making it abundantly clear that there is no pressure on us. We are working under the supremacy of the Constitution and the law."
"Such statements are inconceivable and unacceptable," he continued, adding that he will take into consideration all possible legal actions on the matter.
He assured reporters that legal action would be taken and the facts of the matter brought before the public.
"No one can dare put pressure on the judiciary," he said, clarifying that he wanted to apprise the public in their own interest, not because there was any pressure on the judiciary to do so.
Two references against Justice Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court are pending at the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The first reference pertains to a corruption case filed against him by an employee of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). In the second reference, the SJC is reviewing his critical comments regarding the role of the army in last year's Faizabad sit-in led by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan.
The SJC will be holding an inquiry against Justice Siddiqui with regard to the above-mentioned references, which, unlike past SJC inquisitions, will be conducted in an open court
