Nazia Nazar
As we were getting closer to elections, militants supported by the alien agencies increased attacks on the candidates and martyred Haroon Bilour, Sardar Ikramullah Gandapur and Siraj Raeesani – true patriots to sabotage elections. Propaganda blitz and assault on state institutions i.e., military, judiciary and especially ISI has also been accelerated; and the latest assault came from a sitting judge, what majority of analysts says, with dubious credentials. Foreign media, especially Indian media and their supporters in Pakistan, are trying to make elections controversial by propagating that elections are being engineered by the establishment. In fact CJ Saqib Nisar has already taken notice of remarks by Islamabad High Court Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, who while addressing the Rawalpindi District Bar Association on Saturday made startling allegations against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for allegedly manipulating judicial proceedings. Analysts and panelists said that he used the same language, which is used India and former prime minister of Pakistan.
Justice Siddiqui claimed that the country’s premier spy agency had approached the IHC chief justice to ensure that convicted ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz remained in prison till the general election 2018. He said: “In today’s era, the ISI is fully involved in manipulating judicial proceedings. Their personnel get benches formed at their will.” On Wednesday, in a case of a missing person, he had in the written order stated: “I am constrained to observe that police is in league with the mighty agencies which have disrupted the civic fibre of the country by establishing state over state of Pakistan. It is matter of great concern that even benches are constituted and cases are marked to different benches on the direction of such elements.” These are very serious allegations that would further strengthen the hands of the detractors of Pakistan.
Panelists including legal experts in TV talk show Channel 92 were of the view that the judge had violated judges’ code of conduct and also the oath he had taken. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar expressed surprise over the speech of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and called for complete record of his speech. He categorically rejected his claims and said that there was no pressure on the judiciary. As regards his observation of military establishment’s interference, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor has appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to order probe in the allegations, as his remarks tend to shake public confidence in the institution. On 26th November 2017, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court had expressed his displeasure over the deal brokered between the protesters staging a sit-in at the Faizabad interchange and federal government by a senior Pak Army officer.
Justice Siddiqui asked: “Where is their Radd-ul-Fasaad now? Did they not see any Fasaad (anarchy) in this protest?” Justice Siddiqui asked. There is a perception that such observations tend to convey an impression about conflict between the institutions, and also question the credibility of the institution. In the case under reference, Islamabad police produced Rabnawaz who had allegedly been picked up by unidentified persons. He told the court that he went to Vehari on his own. However, his brother Iftikhar Raja said that Rabnawaz was telling a lie, as he had been abducted by the people of spy agencies and subjected to physical and mental torture. He said it was in his knowledge that his brother had been harassed and threatened with dire consequences if he recorded any statement contrary to what had been directed by the abductors meaning the ISI personnel.
Now question is whether Rabnawaz is to be believed or his brother Iftikhar Raja who said Rabnawaz was telling a lie. However, debate is raging in the media and some panelists hold the view that it is an effort to pressurize the Supreme Judicial Council which is to hear his case for corruption and misuse of authority on 30th July. Already, international and part of domestic media’s onslaught on the institutions is in full swing to put military on the mat. RAW has launched a terror campaign by targeting political leaders and tried to mar the credibility of entire electoral process; on the other hand, Indian media and their sympathizers in Pakistan are supporting PML-N. Has PML-N become an Indian asset like MQM-Altaf?
Why would our enemy support a political party, if it is not an Indian asset. Anyhow, the process of accountability and judicial decisions would continue to rid Pakistan of criminals, drug peddlers, money launderers and ruthless leaders who run killer machine like Abid Boxer. There is vociferous demand from cross section of people that the judge should not be allowed to hear cases any more, which they opine should have been done immediately after reference against him was filed in Supreme Judicial Council.
