Daily Times

The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member larger bench to hear former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui’s petition against his termination from the service.

Siddiqui had challenged Supreme Judicial Council’s (SJC’s) decision to remove him from the services and seeking setting aside of report/opinion of SJC and Notification issued by Ministry of Law dated October 11, 2018.

The five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah would hear the case on Monday (June 13). The SJC had removed Siddiqui as IHC judge in 2018.

Separately, a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court would hear suo moto notice of perceived interference by persons in authority in investigation and prosecution of criminal matters on Tuesday (June 14).

The larger bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar would hear suo moto notice case on apprehension of Undermining the Criminal Justice System by Persons in Authority, Prima Facie Violation of Article 10 A, 25 and 4 of the Constitution.

According to a press release issued by the Supreme Court, the CJP had taken the notice on the recommendation of a fellow apex court judge about the perceived interference in the independence of the prosecution branch in performance of its powers and duties for the investigation and prosecution of pending criminal matters involving persons in authority.