The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) on Saturday accused Islamabad High Court Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of committing “judicial terrorism” against former president Pervez Musharraf.
Justice Siddiqui had rejected Musharraf’s application for a pre-arrest bail and ordered his arrest. However, the former commando left the court undeterred along with his security personnel.
Demanding his removal, APML spokeswoman Aasia Ishaque claimed that Justice Siddiqui was a political figure having long been affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
“Pervez Musharraf was subject to ‘judicial terrorism’ in the Islamabad High Court,” the APML spokeswoman alleged in her first tirade against the judiciary.
She recalled that Justice Siddiqui had contested the 2002 election on a JI ticket under the umbrella of now-defunct Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).
“No one linked to a political party is allowed to issue judicial decrees as a judge,” Aasia maintained.
She also claimed that Justice Siddiqui also had also served then prayer leader of Lal Masjid Abdul Aziz in the Lal Masjid case. “He had got Abdul Aziz bailed out in that case declaring his Bahria Town residence as a sub-jail,” she claimed.
It was an open secret, the APML spokeswoman claimed that Abdul Aziz had links with the terrorists. “How come the advocate of terrorists was allowed to sit in an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC),” Aasia alleged.
Justice Siddiqui, she said, can never be allowed to hear the cases against her party chief. She demanded the removal of Justice Siddiqui.
“We demand his removal as an ATC judge and that his decisions be declared as null and void,” she said.
The APML official said her party would always protest Justice Siddiqui’s status as a judge.
On April 18, Justice Siddiqui was hearing a case against former president Pervez Musharraf for confining members of the superior judiciary during 2007 emergency in the country.