'You are an honest person,' Justice Umar Ata Bandial tells Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui

Supreme Court Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday told former Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui he was "an honest person".

A five-member larger bench of the SC headed by Justice Bandial and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the case of Siddiqui's removal.

Justice Bandial made the remarks after Siddiqui said he was residing in Islamabad with his family despite receiving threats.

Justice Bandial remarked the former judge should have worked for the protection of his institution; he should have thought of the institutions which work for the protection of the judiciary before making any unsavoury remarks.

"You were upset over something else but ridiculed your own institution and the chief justice," Justice Bandial said.

Justice Bandial remarked that he believes that the bar is always there to assist the judges, but it has a policy under which it works — and the bar itself gets emotional many times.

Advocate Hamid Khan, the counsel for Siddiqui presenting his arguments, said according to the Constitution, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) can conduct an inquiry against a judge, not dismiss them.

Khan said some forces were deliberately targeting his client.

Justice Mazhar Alam asked whether the SJC itself recorded statements in the inquiry, to which Khan said all records and evidence had to be reviewed by the SJC.

He said his client was removed from office by issuing a show-cause notice, adding that Siddiqui was removed despite his response to the show-cause notice.

The SC, after hearing the arguments, adjourned the hearing.

— Additional input from APP