IHC orders disciplinary proceedings against judge Arshad Malik

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday ordered disciplinary proceedings against accountability court judge Arshad Malik for violating the code of conduct.

The court order against Accountability Court II Judge Malik stated, “The disclosures and admissions made by Mr Muhammad Arshad Malik, District & Sessions Judge/Former Judge, Accountability Court-II, Islamabad in his press release dated 07.07.2019 and the affidavit dated 11.07.2019, prima facie, constitute acts of misconduct and violation of the code of conduct, which warrant initiation of disciplinary proceedings against him.

“Therefore, the Hon’able Chief Justice of this Court has been pleased to order to place the said Judicial Officer under suspension and repatriate to his parent department i.e. Lahore High Court, Lahore, with immediate effect, for disciplinary proceedings to be conducted in accordance with law.”

Rs100mn was offered to me as bribe, claims judge Arshad Malik in affidavit

'Rs. 100 million in Euros for me immediately available out of which the Euro equivalent of Rs. 20 million was' outside, judge Arshad Malik claimed

Judge Malik, after becoming embroiled in the so-called judge video scandal, had penned a letter to the IHC in July wherein he had refuted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s claims and revealed other information related to the controversy.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, Malik had denied the contents of the video — which purportedly showed him admitting to a lack of evidence against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif — and termed them edited, fabricated, and aimed to defame him.

SC to announce verdict on Friday 

The Supreme Court of Pakistan will announce its verdict on petitions regarding judge Arshad Malik’s video scandal on Friday.

The case is being heard by a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.

Last month, the Supreme Court took up the case on a petition submitted by a citizen named Ishtiaq Ahmed, who appealed to the apex court for an independent judicial inquiry of the video scandal.

On July 12, judge Arshad Malik was relieved from his duties by the federal government for his alleged involvement in the controversial video scandal.