Govt accepts court’s ruling in Justice Faez Isa case: Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has said that the government accepted the Supreme Court’s judgment in Justice Faez Isa reference case.

Addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Shibli Faraz after the short order on the case was released  on Friday, he said, “We respect the judiciary.”Akbar informed that under Article 209, there are three ways a reference could be filed against a judge.

The first is the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) takes notice by itself against a judge. Secondly, the government files a reference to the SJC and thirdly any person approaches the council for action, he added.

The special assistant said the role of the executive is to send the reference. Akbar maintained the government believes that the SJC is the only body that could deal with matters related to judges. “The government is satisfied with top court’s ruling in the case,” he added.

The SAPM said, “After the verdict was announced by SC, an environment was created to make it look like either it is someone’s win or defeat.” “The judgment is not anyone’s win or defeat. It is a sensitive issue,” he remarked.

Akbar said that during the proceedings, the government was offered to send the matter to the FBR, adding that the prime minister had also raised no objections to this.

Earlier, the Supreme Court quashed the presidential reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s for non-disclosure of family members’ properties in his wealth statement. The short verdict was announced by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, leading the 10-judge full court bench hearing the case.

The judges unanimously declared the proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council and its show-cause notice as abate. Seven judges on the bench have, however, referred the matter to the Federal Board of Revenue asking it to initiate tax proceedings against Justice Isa’s wife and two children.