Tag: reference

  • ‘Charge sheet against three-member bench’: Nawaz asks parliament to file reference against SC judges

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, urged the parliament to file a reference of misconduct against Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar following the recent Punjab polls verdict which he claims has “virtually disabled” the legislature and made it “redundant.”

    Calling the verdict a reflection of a “one-man show” in the judiciary, Nawaz argued that one individual should not be allowed to hold multiple functions, such as the prime minister, defence minister, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and above all, parliament.

    Nawaz said the verdict aimed to benefit one pampered person [Imran Khan] while immobilising the state.

    “This is a pity,” Nawaz said, adding: “This is the result of over 70 years of mismanagement and corruption in our political system. It is time for us to re-evaluate the way we run our country.”

    “It is a symptom of the larger problem plaguing our political system,” he stated.

    “For over 70 years, we have witnessed mismanagement and corruption that has eroded the trust of the people in their government. Punjab was earlier handed over to the PTI chief by declaring the MPAs disqualified and denying them the right to vote in the chief minister election.”

    Questioning the rejection of the demand to constitute a full court, Nawaz said, “What was the hurdle behind forming a full-court bench? This decision is a charge sheet against you. Why this insistence on a three-member bench? Daal mein kuch kaala hai, this decision could only have come from this bench.”

    The former prime minister also questioned why a suo moto notice was not taken in his case, stressing that the decision against him was incorrect and should have been reviewed by a constituted bench.

    Talking about how Nawaz was labelled “godfather” and part of the “Sicilian mafia” when he was the prime minister, he recalled an incident where Justice Azmat Saeed remarked in a case about the promotion of a government official that ‘the PM should know there is plenty of room in Adiala jail’.

    He appealed that the nation should wake up as certain people “are destroying Pakistan”.

  • ‘Altaf Hussain is Nelson Mandela’: Fawad Ch responds to Farogh Naseem’s remarks about Khan

    ‘Altaf Hussain is Nelson Mandela’: Fawad Ch responds to Farogh Naseem’s remarks about Khan

    Former law minister Farogh Naseem revealed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was the one who ordered filing a reference against Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    “It was Imran Khan himself who had ordered filing a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa,” Farogh claimed on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.

    The former law minister was responding to Khan’s admission that filing a presidential reference for the removal of Justice Qazi Faez Isa was a mistake and that he had been misguided by relevant officials about the facts of the case.

    Naseem further stated that a reference against Justice Isa was filed because of a report by the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU), which was headed by Shahzad Akbar back then.

    “This is total nonsense. Around seven in the morning, I got a call from Imran Khan sahib, Naeem ul Haq was alive at the time. He [Khan] asked that since the eradication of corruption was the PTI government’s agenda, therefore the reference should be filed immediately.”

    “Let’s assume for a minute that I was behind filing the reference, but the decision-maker was Imran Khan sahib and the president of Pakistan. They now want to attract Hamid Khan, who was once Justice Isa’s lawyer.”

    Responding to Naseem’s allegations against Khan, former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Altaf Hussain is Nelson Mandela :)”

    Farogh Naseem also revealed that former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari wished to be defence and foreign minister when PTI was in power.

    Earlier, senior lawyer and former PTI leader Hamid Khan said that Khan confessed to committing blunders that cost PTI politically.

    Hamid said that Khan admitted that he was misled on Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s issue, adding that he had told Khan that the reference was a mistake because the judge was an honest man.

  • Journalist vs PTI’s Murad Saeed: Govt plans to go after judge for declaring FIA raid on Mohsin Baig’s house illegal

    Journalist vs PTI’s Murad Saeed: Govt plans to go after judge for declaring FIA raid on Mohsin Baig’s house illegal

    The government has decided to file a reference against Islamabad’s Additional Session Judge Zafar Iqbal for declaring the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raid illegal at senior journalist Mohsin Baig’s home.

     Advocate General (AG) Islamabad Niazullah Niazi met Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and briefed him about the case hearing.

    Niazullah Niazi said that a reference would be filed against the judge soon. He said that Mohsin Baig had pointed a gun at FIA and police officials besides threatening the on-duty officers. “Being a media person does not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands.”

    AG Islamabad further stated that Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no one is above the law.

    “Everyone is equal before the law. Constructive criticism is beneficial for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government,” said PM Khan.

    Speaking on Geo News Programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, AG Islamabad Niazullah Niazi said, “We will approach Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the session court judge’s verdict.”

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada questioned Advocate General Niazi if all this is really about the rule of law or is it what the government wants.

    Niazi responded: “We all know how much the prime minister has worked for the rule of law. If a proceeding is happening against someone, and the law is there in the constitution, why would someone want that the proceeding to stop?”

    Khanzada interjected and asked: “You say that the prime minister has done a lot for rule of law. The premier always reiterates that nations are destroyed where there is one law for the strong and another for the weak. A federal minister files a complaint at 9am in Lahore and at 9:30am, a raid takes place in Islamabad. Several cases are pending but prompt action was taken in this case. A judge who declared the raid illegal face references. Is this what rule of law is?”

    “No illegal action will be taken against any judge,” responded Niazullah Niazi.

    “You are pressuring the judiciary in this manner, the judge who gives verdict against you, you are taking action against them in return,” added Khanzada.

     Niazi further stated that the reference against the session judge will not jeopardise the independence of the judiciary.

    Neither the prime minister nor the lawyer accepts any kind of pressure on the judiciary, but no one should be above the law, he said.

    Khanzada further said, “Is this really rule of law or fascism?”

    The FIA cybercrime wing and the police arrested Daily Jinnah and Online news agency Editor Mohsin Jamil Baig on Wednesday. FIA raided the journalist’s house in the federal capital along with the police and took him into custody.

    Baig was accused of initiating a debate on a television show with some controversial references towards PM Imran Khan and Minister for Communication Murad Saeed.

  • ‘CJP Khosa backstabbed me’: Justice Isa accuses SC of acting maliciously

    ‘CJP Khosa backstabbed me’: Justice Isa accuses SC of acting maliciously

    Justice Qazi Faez Isa has alleged that the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) acted “maliciously” against him and never gave him the chance to defend himself, adding the SJC did a massacre of justice.

    The SC judge made the comments on Thursday while presenting his arguments for a review petition against the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the presidential reference filed against him.

    Criticising former chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa, the judge said that the former top judge “stabbed me in the back” without listening to his point of view. “My fellow judges in the SJC declared me a madman,” said Justice Isa.

    He further said that his fellow judge, Justice Azmat Saeed, had been a friend and had disappointed him (Justice Isa) with his judgement on the matter. “Today, the former judge is a favourite of the ruling party,” Justice Isa alleged.

    The judge complained to the bench that Law Minister Farogh Naseem had made “serious allegations” against him and his wife. “The decision to quash the reference against me was based on the Constitution and law. My wife was not a party to the case, yet the decision was against her,” said Justice Isa.

    He alleged that Naseem had “no respect for the court” and that “his ministry is more important to him”. “This is the first time that a law minister has declared the Constitution of Pakistan to be in conflict with fundamental rights,” said the SC judge.

    He further complained to the court asking why, even after the end of the hearing, the law minister kept submitting written arguments to the court.

    He also asked why the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was ordered to complete its investigation before the detailed verdict was issued in his case, alleging that Tax Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed went ahead with the investigations only due to the court’s pressure. He further added that President Arif Alvi “did not even bother” to respond to the three letters he sent to him on the presidential reference.

    “I did not even get a copy of the reference, but it was run on the media. Fifth generation war was started against me and my family,” said Justice Isa.

    Talking about his verdict in the Faizabad dharna case, Justice Isa claimed that the government wants to remove him from the apex court over his verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case but vowed that he will fight “till the last drop of blood” and not give up.

    Justice Isa regretted that everyone other than former Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi filed a review petition challenging his findings. “[Even the] PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) and MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) also filed an appeal against the Faizabad sit-in decision. The PTI’s review petition said that I am not qualified to be a judge. I really am not qualified to be a judge because I talk about fundamental rights,” said Justice Isa.

    The SC judge appealed to the court to hear the instant case in the mornings so it can be wrapped up at the earliest because Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, part of the bench, is retiring soon.

    However, one of the judges reminded him that time had been lost due to a related petition filed by Justice Isa himself.

    “You are just now remembering that there is less time,” observed Justice Bandial, reminding the judge that he “wasted the complete month of March by filing an application for the live coverage of his hearing”.

    Justice Isa responded that he had requested live coverage of the case as it was “important” to restore his “image”, which he believes has been tarnished in front of the public.

    “A person’s image is in the hands of Allah and you should trust him,” said Justice Bandial in response.

    Justice Isa retorted saying that he was more worried about the SC, and that he himself was “nothing in front of it.”

    The court, after hearing the arguments, adjourned the hearing till April 19.