Judiciary also responsible for current situation of country: Justice Siddiqui

RAWALPINDI: Islamabad High Court's (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Saturday stated that the judiciary is 50 per cent responsible for the current situation of the country.

“The court is 50 per cent responsible for the situation of the country today while institutions are responsible for the other 50 per cent,” Justice Siddiqui remarked while addressing the Rawalpindi Bar Association. 

Justice Siddiqui said, "For a while now I have been wanting to present myself before the bar for accountability. I wanted to do that because only my bar can hold me accountable and there have been no corruption charges against me to date."

"Whenever I pass a judgment in a crucial case, a group starts a campaign claiming that there are corruption references ongoing against me," he added.

"However, I am clean and thus requested the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to conduct an open trial against me and invite lawyers to see if there is any truth in the corruption allegations. If any corruption charges are proven then I will resign," Justice Siddiqui continued.

Further, he alleged, "I was told that if I pass judgments on their directives then the references against me will be withdrawn."

"I was also assured that I will be made the chief justice of Pakistan in September and not even November," he added.

"But I do not care about my job as you do not become a judge through your post but through just ways," Justice Siddiqui upheld.

He also urged lawyers to become a source of decreasing crime. "Do not become a facilitator as there in no shortcut for success," he said,

Justice Siddiqui further lamented, "Today, even the independent media has cowed down."