Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Friday met for the third time to deliberate upon the references against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a judge of Supreme Court, and Justice KK Agha, a judge of Sindh High Court. The sources shared that Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan again appeared before the SJC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising two senior judges of apex court, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, two senior Chief Justices of High Courts - Waqar Ahmad Seth, CJ Peshawar High Court and Ahmad Ali Sheikh, CJ Sindh High Court.
In the last hearing, the Council considered the objections, which the judges sent to SJC over the presidential references. However, neither AGP Anwar Mansoor nor any counsel on judges' behalf appeared before the SJC.
In the first meeting held on June 14 last, AGP Anwar Mansoor had briefed the SJC about references. Therefore on the same day (June 14) the Council had sent a copy of reference along with attached documents to Justice Qazi Faez Isa at his official residence in Islamabad.
According to the Section 8 (3) of the SJC Procedure of Enquiry 2005, "If the council is of the view that before forming an opinion, it should also hear the judge under enquiry, it shall require the said judge to present himself before the council. The council shall provide him with the information and material received against him." Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and SCBA have expressed serious concerns over the references. The top bodies of the lawyers say that the manner and haste shown in filing of the references and there timing raise eyebrows in the legal fraternity and, therefore, disapproved the move.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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