ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday annulled the Supreme Judicial Council’s (SJC) decision to dismiss former judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
A 5-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin, Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Jamal Mandokhel, and Justice Irfan Saadat wrote the 23-page judgement.
In the ruling, the apex court declared that the SJC recommendation to remove Justice Siddiqui was illegal. It said the appeals against the dismissal of Justice Siddiqui were allowed and he should be given all the privileges of a retired judge.
The Supreme Court said that Justice Siddiqui could not be reinstated. Due to delayed ruling, Siddiqui attained the age of sixty-two years, so he should be considered a retired justice.
It should be noted that on January 23, the apex court had reserved the decision against the dismissal of former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that one has to be careful. The constitutional balance between institutions should not be disturbed.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s removal
Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was removed from the coveted office on the recommendation of the SJC under Article 209 of the Constitution for alleged misconduct as a judge through a speech at the District Bar Association, Rawalpindi on July 21, 2018.
