SJC summons AGP in references against top judges

July 5, 2019

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The Supreme Judicial Council has summoned Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan to appear before the apex council on July 12 a day after the accused judges, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa and Justice KK Agha, submitted their replies in the case against them.

The government had filed references against the two judges in May after complaints were received against them of concealing their assets.

President Arif Alvi had forwarded the references to the SJC following which the top judicial forum had sought AGP Mansoor Ali Khan’s assistance over the complaint.

Justice Isa is accused of allegedly possessing three properties in the name of his wife and children and Justice K. K. Agha of the SHC is said to have in his possession two properties in the United Kingdom.

A five-member SJC bench comprising Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Justice Waqar Ahmed and Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh heard the references filed against the two judges.

Last week, the second hearing of SJC ended within 10 minutes, as neither the attorney general nor the accused judges appeared before the council.

The decision to hold the trial of the judges in the SJC was condemned by the lawyer bodies across the country, which called out the government for filing the reference against the judges with a mala fide intent.