The Supreme Court reserved on Tuesday its verdict on an appeal lodged by former judge of the Islamabad High Court Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui against his removal from office.

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan is hearing the case.

The proceedings are being broadcast live.

The former judge was removed vide notification issued by President Arif Alvi on October 11, 2019 upon the recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for making a speech to the Rawalpindi Bar Association on July 21, 2018.

In his speech, he blamed the higher judiciary for the country’s ‘deplorable’ state of affairs.

In 2019, the IHC ex-judge had challenged the SJC report and the President’s order in the SC.

The former IHC judge stated he was discriminated against for making a public speech while the chairman of the SJC (ex-CJP Saqib Nisar) went on making speeches, addressing Bar Council, attending conventions and meeting members of the armed forces, including the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and even declaring that whole judiciary was incompetent.

Shaukat stated that he only pointed out interference by some elements in the administration of justice.