The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which hears complaints against superior court judges, has restrained the media from commenting on the upcoming proceedings of a case against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
The five-member SJC, led by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, issued the written order which says proceedings of the council will be reported in the matter related to IHC judge, but no public comments shall be made.
“We direct that no media discussion, articles or editorials shall be written or published in this matter and no public comments shall be made only proceedings of the council shall be reported,” said the two-page order.
The order, however, notes that this council shall be entitled to revert to in-camera proceedings in case there arises a situation as “contemplated in the apex court’s May 10, 2018 order”.
“We allow the proceedings in this matter to be held in open court subject to the restrictive measures taken by the council regarding attendance and presence of persons in court,” said the order.
The SJC will resume hearing on July 30.
It is for the first time that inquiry against any superior court judge will be conducted in open court.
The SJC’s rules say that any inquiry against a judge will be held in-camera.
In the complaint pending against the IHC judge since 2015, eight allegations have been levelled against him.
In February, the SJC served another show-cause notice on Siddiqui for questioning the role of “a constitutional institution” in the matter relating to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s Faizabad sit-in protest last year.
Later, the judge submitted a reply in this regard but the council rejected it.
The SJC on May 18, 2017 dismissed his plea seeking an open trial.
Later, he challenged the council order in the apex court, which issued a 77-page verdict on May 10, 2018.




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