KARACHI: The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) has announced to boycott the court proceedings on Tuesday to record a protest against the removal of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on the recommendation of Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
KBA President Syed Haider Imam Rizvi said the decision to boycott the legal proceedings was unanimously taken at a meeting of bar association’s managing committee held on Monday.
Rizvi said the removal of the IHC judge was “a serious issue which raises questions on the independence of judiciary”. A general body meeting of the KBA would also be held to decide the future course of action in this regard, he said.
On October 11, President Arif Alvi had, on the recommendation of the SJC, removed Justice Siddiqui as a judge of the IHC, according to a notification issued by the law ministry.
A letter written by the council had reportedly stated that it found Justice Siddiqui guilty of misconduct over a speech he delivered in July earlier this year before the Rawalpindi District Bar Association.
Siddiqui had reportedly decided to challenge his disqualification by the SJC.
Justice Asif Saeed had penned the 39-page judgement. While discussing the causes of his removal, he wrote that allegations against Siddiqui were correct and the council suggests removing him from his office under Article-209 of the constitution.
In his reply, Siddiqui had pleaded that no evidence was presented against him and it was his responsibility to take the bar into confidence. The council rejected his plea and declared that Siddiqui violated the code of conduct by accusing the state institutions.
Earlier on Oct 13, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) had welcomed the decision to remove Siddiqui.
