ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Judicial Council — the only constitutional forum that can remove superior court judges — is meeting on Thursday to take up the cases of two sitting judges of the Lahore High Court.

A source privy to the development told Dawn that the SJC — to be headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali — may take up matters against Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi on Nov 12.

Speaking at an enrolment ceremony at the Islamabad Bar Council on Oct 31, the chief justice had conceded that most references of misconduct against superior court judges had become outdated, and hinted that the SJC would be reactivated to purge the judiciary of tainted members.

Also read: SC wants to ensure merit, not to settle scores: CJ

Soon after the announcement, Islamabad-based Advocate Rana Abid Nazir Khan instituted a reference under Article 209 against Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi, accusing him of misusing the privileges and allowances available to superior court judges.

“There is a possibility that the council may ask the two respondent judges to come up with replies in their defence and defend themselves against the allegations of misconduct [levelled] against them,” the source said.

The last time the SJC met was on Oct 31 when it threw out a complaint instituted by Insaaf Lawyers’ Forum Senior Vice President Gohar Nawaz Sindhu.

The complaint was filed against four provincial members of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Aug 26 this year, accusing them of having committed illegalities in the conduct of the 2013 general elections.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2015