Shaukat Siddiqui approaches SC for early hearing of plea against his dismissal

ISLAMABAD: Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan for early hearing of his petition filed against his dismissal as a judge.

President Arif Alvi had removed Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui from the post of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge in the light of a recommendation by the Supreme Judicial Council on October 11.

Siddiqui submitted the application with the apex court on Friday for early hearing of his petition.

The former judge made the federation, through Ministry of Law, and Supreme Judicial Council parties in his petition.

He requested for declaring the notification of his dismissal dated October 11 null and void and restoring him on the position of a permanent judge.

The former judge has presented 27 legal arguments in the petition comprising 30 pages.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui removed as IHC judge

The SJC recommended Justice Siddiqui's removal over his controversial speech before Rawalpindi bar association on July 21

The Supreme Judicial Council had recommended removal of Siddiqui from his office over his controversial speech before the District Bar Association, Rawalpindi on July 21, 2018.

Siddiqui in his speech had blamed the higher judiciary for the country's 'deplorable' state of affairs.

Commenting on the matter the next day while hearing a case, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar had observed, "I read about the remarks of a judge in Islamabad and was deeply saddened".

Adding to the matter, the army, in a press release issued the same day, had stated: "An honourable judge of Islamabad High Court of Pakistan has leveled serious allegations against state institutions including honourable judiciary and the premier state intelligence agency.

"In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly."

The apex court had then taken a suo motu notice of the matter following which Siddiqui had asked the chief justice to constitute a judicial commission to probe his allegations and had offered to resign if he's proven wrong.