A day after the accountability judge, Arshad Malik, was repatriated back to his parent department, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday formed a committee to probe allegations levelled against the judge, which resulted in his suspension.
LHC Chief Justice Sardar Shamim Khan summoned a meeting of the court’s administrative committee on August 26 to discuss the future course of action against judge Malik.
The LHC registrar said that Malik will face an inquiry pertaining to the controversial video released by Maryam Nawaz, which would be conducted in the light of the top court’s appearance.
In a press conference in July, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz had shared a video containing an alleged confession by judge Arshad Malik that he was ‘pressurised’ and ‘blackmailed’ to give a decision against the former premier.
Malik later denied the allegations in a letter to the chief justice.
In a detailed verdict issued on Friday, the top judge said that judge Malik’s conduct had the tendency to bring a “bad name to the entire judiciary as an institution”.
“His admitted conduct emerging from that press release and the affidavit stinks and the stench of such stinking conduct has the tendency to bring a bad name to the entire judiciary as an institution,” the judgement read.
“His sordid and disgusting conduct has made the thousands of honest, upright, fair and proper judges in the country hang their heads in shame,” the CJP said.
