Daily Times

Recently retired judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Shahid Jameel Khan said on Thursday that his resignation was a “rebellion against this system that some people have now made hostage for their vested interests”.

In his first public appearance, at a lawyer’s convention, after he handed in his resignation earlier this month, Justice Shahid said, “Some people have captured the system and wish to run it as per their whims.”

He said Pakistan was going through critical instability, but even today “some judges are working under fear,” he said. “The fear of losing their jobs, and making their chief unhappy,” the former judge said.

“Break the chains; let go of the fear,” Justice (retd) Khan urged. “We will not be able to stand as one nation if we will not shrug off our fear,” he added.

Refuting rumors of resigning under someone’s pressure, the judge clarified that the decision to resign was solely his own, and was taken after careful consideration about what was good for him.

“My resignation is an example for those who make decisions under pressure,” he said. “Don’t compromise your self-respect; a judge should make decisions after keeping aside all kinds of pressures, interests, and fear,” the ex-LHC judge added.

Responding to a query regarding “the establishment” approaching him. The retired judge said that he had “only twice been approached by them”. Once after his confirmation as a judge when “a lawyer approached me to convey a ‘zoo official’s’ message regarding wanting to meet me”. “I was told the official was really ‘impressed’ by me,” the judge said, adding that he refused the meeting offer.

The second time, he said, was when “a car chased me during the time I was hearing some matters related to cantonment elections in Rawalpindi,” he said.

Justice Shahid claimed that he was informed that the car chase was a warning for him. “Although they did not accept responsibility, everyone knows who they were,” the judge said.

On February 2, Justice Shahid tendered his resignation from his office, citing “personal circumstances” in which he had decided to “turn the page and start a new chapter”.

In his resignation letter, sent to President Dr Arif Alvi, he stated, “It was an absolute honour to hold the office, but for personal circumstances I have decided to turn the page and start a new chapter.”

His resignation marked the third such departure within a month during Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s tenure.

Justice Shahid, who remained part of the LHC bench since 2014, decided to step down, adding to the recent exits of Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, both SC judges.