In the wake of reports of the institution of references against several top judges, Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday said that selective leaks to the media about the references were also character assassination.
In a letter written to President Arif Ali, Justice Isa asked him to confirm whether a reference was filed against him under Article 209 of the Constitution in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), an informed source told Dawn.
“I am confident that you (president) will agree that if a reference has been filed and I have been called upon to submit my reply thereto, only then, subject to the permission of the Supreme Judicial Council, the government may disclose the reference and my response thereto,” the SC judge stated in the letter.
Justice Isa also requested the president to hand him a copy of the reference filed against him, adding that selective media leaks were also character assassination. “Selective leaks amount to character assassination, jeopardise my right to due process and fair trial and undermine the institution of the judiciary."
On Wednesday, Additional Attorney General Zahid Ebrahim has resigned over references against top judges, including Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faez Isa saying that he ‘can not in good conscience continue’.\
In a letter written to President Arif Alvi, Ebrahim said that news reports on Tuesday claimed that references were launched against several judges of the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct.
Among those judges, Ebrahim said was a top supreme court judge (Justice Qazi Faiz Isa) who is ‘widely known for his unimpeachable integrity and against whom the government has already revealed its mind by filing review petitions’.
In a letter written to President Arif Ali, Justice Isa asked him to confirm whether a reference was filed against him under Article 209 of the Constitution in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), an informed source told Dawn.
“I am confident that you (president) will agree that if a reference has been filed and I have been called upon to submit my reply thereto, only then, subject to the permission of the Supreme Judicial Council, the government may disclose the reference and my response thereto,” the SC judge stated in the letter.
Justice Isa also requested the president to hand him a copy of the reference filed against him, adding that selective media leaks were also character assassination. “Selective leaks amount to character assassination, jeopardise my right to due process and fair trial and undermine the institution of the judiciary."
On Wednesday, Additional Attorney General Zahid Ebrahim has resigned over references against top judges, including Supreme Court’s Justice Qazi Faez Isa saying that he ‘can not in good conscience continue’.\
In a letter written to President Arif Alvi, Ebrahim said that news reports on Tuesday claimed that references were launched against several judges of the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct.
Among those judges, Ebrahim said was a top supreme court judge (Justice Qazi Faiz Isa) who is ‘widely known for his unimpeachable integrity and against whom the government has already revealed its mind by filing review petitions’.