Law Minister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem on Friday rejected reports that the ministry had modified the misconduct reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa on President Arif Alvi’s instructions, stating that the ministry only prepares references on the basis of complaints it receives from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Asset Recovery Unit.
His rejection comes after a reported alleged that the president had asked the minister change the language in the reference against the judge. Dr Naseem denied that any directives were issued by the President House in this regard.
“It is to clarify the news carried by certain sections of the press alluding that the Ministry of Law and Justice had deliberately used harsh language in the reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa and President Arif Alvi had to modify the language of the reference. There is no truth to the reports regarding changes made in the language of the reference since no such directions were issued by the Aiwan-e-Sadar in this regard and no language was changed,” read a statement issued by the ministry on Friday.
The ministry said that it does not have the mechanism to investigate a judge’s assets and only Asset Recovery Unit and FBR is mandated to do this. “The Ministry of Law and Justice and the law minister believes in upholding the rule of law and will continue to do so. News from a section of the press that the law minister has been criticised for initiating the case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa is factually incorrect and a figment of relevant journalist’s imagination. The law minister has always been appreciated for upholding the rule of law,” the statement added.
