Filing the reference in the matter, the complainant said that on November 10, 2016, the IHC Bar Association convened its general body meeting, which was requisitioned to see the legal impacts and repercussions of the judgement of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on August 26, 2016 whereby a number of appointments in the IHC were declared illegal.
Javed Akbar Shah submitted that hundreds of lawyers were in attendance in the IHC premises, where the body was deliberating upon the ways and means to get the apex court judgement implemented in letter and in spirit amid demanding resignation of the Chief Justice of IHC, Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi.
"The speeches of lawyers were in progress when all of a sudden, at about 12:30pm, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the learned judge of the IHC, forcibly entered the house along with heavy police contingent," the complainant submitted. Javed Akbar Shah said that all the lawyers in attendance stood up to show respect to the learned judge, adding that the lawyers' first impression was that the learned judge had resigned and wanted to show affinity and association with the Bar with respect to the judgement of the Supreme Court.
"But this impression was soon dispelled when the learned judge furiously jumped to the dais and showed his anxiety to address the Bar forthwith without invitation. However, Muhammad Waqas Malik, Secretary of the IHC Bar Association, told him to show some restraint, but as soon as Advocate Supreme Court Mujtaba Haider Sherazi, who was then addressing the Bar, left the rostrum, the learned judge started speaking abruptly," Shah submitted.
Javed Akbar Shah alleged that Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui forcibly addressed the Bar and criticised a number of the Bar members, saying the act falls under misconduct and violation of code of conduct. Terming the speech of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui expletive laden, Shah said that language, style, manner and gestures of Justice Siddiqui were provocative and highly obnoxious and unbecoming of a judge as right after Justice Siddiqui entered the hall with his police contingents, he ordered the media persons to shut their cameras and stop reporting.
"The learned judge criticised those members of the Bar, by calling their names, in a highly inappropriate manner who had filed complaints/references against the learned judges of the IHC , including Rana Abid Nazir, Advocate High Court (who filed complaint/reference against Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi, the learned Chief Justice of IHC) and Muhammad Waqas Malik, advocate High Court, the present secretary of the IHC Bar (who filed complaint/reference against Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, the former Chief Justice of IHC, and Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi, the learned present Chief Justice of the IHC)," Shah claimed.
Shah further said that by criticising the judgement of the Supreme Court and terming it a part of conspiracy against the IHC, Justice Siddiqui also committed contempt of the Supreme Court by doing everything in his power to bring the apex court into hatred, ridicule and contempt in the eyes of lawyers' community, in particular, and public at large, in general.
"It is most respectfully prayed that an inquiry may kindly be conducted in the light of above allegations and report may kindly be sent to the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for removal of the learned judge in the interest of justice and equity," Shah prayed the SJC. Talking to Business Recorder, Shah' counsel said that he has submitted the complaint before the Council during the course of day on Thursday.