Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Sunday requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar to constitute a commission to probe the allegations levelled by him a day earlier regarding the alleged interference of a security agency in judicial affairs.
In a letter sent to the chief justice dated July 22, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Justice Siddiqui requested the top judge to appoint any serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court "who has not taken oath under PCO" [Provisional Constitutional Order] as the one-member commission.
The letter emerged hours after CJP Nisar took "serious notice of a speech delivered by Justice Siddiqui [...] alleging interference of intelligence agencies of the country in judicial matters". The top judge also called for complete record of the speech from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
Also on Sunday, the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), requested the Supreme Court to "initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations" made by Justice Siddiqui.
Justice Siddiqui in his letter repeated the claim that the judiciary's independence has been compromised "by the intervention of [a] few individuals of the prestigious institution of Army and its allied agencies".
Read: IHC judge makes startling allegations against security agencies 'meddling' in judicial affairs
"On different occasions, I pointed out this intervention as a result of which I am facing a reference along with another fabricated reference," he wrote.
Two references against Justice Siddiqui are pending at the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC). The first reference pertains to a corruption case filed against him by an employee of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). In the second reference, the SJC is reviewing his critical comments regarding the role of the army in last year's Faizabad sit-in led by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan.
Justice Siddiqui recalled that he had accepted the invitation to address the Rawalpindi District Bar Association on July 21 as he is also a member of the same bar.
He said the request by the ISPR to initiate an inquiry into his allegations should be "honoured" and that he also requests the CJP to constitute a commission to "probe about the authenticity and truthfulness of presented facts". He also asked the top judge to direct the commission to conduct open proceedings of the matter which can be attended and reported on by lawyers, media and the civil society.
Also read: No pressure on the judiciary, says CJP
Justice Siddiqui said he is "ready to face the consequences" if the independent commission does not find any reality in his claims, "but at the same time I have a right to enquire that if my presented facts proved correct, what would be the fate of those persons, by they a serving Army personnel, who are involved in manipulating the judicial system".
On Saturday, Justice Siddiqui while addressing the Rawalpindi Bar Association had claimed that personnel of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) were manipulating judicial proceedings.
He had further claimed that the spy agency had approached IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi and said: "'We do not want to let Nawaz Sharif and his daughter come out [of the prison] until elections, do not include Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on the bench [hearing Sharifs' appeals]'."
Justice Siddiqui had offered no evidence to support the claims he made.
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