CJP Bandial reserves verdict on plea seeking withdrawal of case against Justice Isa

Islamabad_Another complaint has been filed in the Supreme Judicial Council against Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and three other judges seeking their removal,

The complaint was filed by Sardar Salman Dogar advocate in the Supreme Judicial Council.

The complainant pleaded with the SJC to remove Chief Justice Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Ijazul Ahsan from their posts.

Another complaint against Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi has also been filed in the SJC.

The copies of the complaint have been dispatched to other members of the Supreme Judicial Council.

The complainant accused all four judges including CJP Bandial of ‘misconduct’ in the Ghulam Mehmood Dogar case and Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa polls case.

He said that these justices violated Article 209.

Earlier, on April 7, a complaint was lodged with the Supreme Judicial Council calling for the removal of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

The complaint, filed by lawyer Raja Sibtain Khan, alleged that the chief justice engaged in misconduct by dividing judges into groups and securing their support to influence the outcome of a case.

The complaint claimed that the actions of the chief justice violated the Constitution and the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan, and demonstrated unfaithfulness and disloyalty to the State. The complainant has called for an investigation into the matter and for the chief justice to be removed from his position.

Complaints against the CJP and other judges have been lodged amid a standoff between the PDM government and judiciary over the matter of holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile,

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Monday reserved a verdict on a petition filed by the government seeking withdrawal of a curative review petition in a case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The chief justice held an in-chamber hearing on the petition when Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan and Advocate-on-Record Anees Muhammad appeared before him.

During the hearing, the AGP submitted his arguments in this regard. After which, the top judge reserved the verdict, stating it will be pronounced soon.

Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif had ordered withdrawal of the curative review reference against Justice Isa. The PM directed the law minister to withdraw the reference as the government had decided not to pursue it. He said Justice Isa and his family were harassed and defamed through the reference.

Mr Sharif claimed that the reference was moved by a “vengeful Imran Niazi” against an honest judge. It was an attack on the independence of the judiciary and a nefarious conspiracy to divide the institution, he said. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and allies had condemned the reference, he added.

He said Mr Khan misused the constitutional office of the president for filing the reference.

Lawyers’ organisations, including the Pakistan Bar Council, had also opposed the reference and the PML-N appreciated their gesture.