ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Outspoken PPP legislator Faisal Raza Abidi tried on Thursday to justify his outburst on several TV channels against superior judiciary.

Speaking on a point of order in the Senate, he said that according to a notification of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) dated Nov 25, 2005, any member of the public could bring to the notice of the council any allegation of misconduct against a judge.

The information may be received through any mode by the council or any of its members, without being restricted to any of the sources, including print and electronic media.

He argued that he had levelled serious allegations against the Chief Justice in different TV talk shows and insisted that he did not violate any law by doing so as this right had been given to him by the SJC headed by the Chief Justice. He said the SJC notification spelling out standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the judges of the Superior Courts was issued with the approval of the Chief Justice and was signed by the Registrar of the Court, Dr Faqir Hussain.

He said according to another notification of the council dated Sept 2, 2009, about the code of conduct for judges, a judge should be God-fearing, law-abiding, abstentious, truthful of tongue, wise in opinion and untouched by greed.

He claimed to have documentary evidence to prove that the Chief Justice played a role in promotions and transfers of his son Dr Arsalan Iftikhar in 2005. He said he had allowed his son to conduct his business with the name of F and A Enterprises at the official residence of the Chief Justice.

Mr Abidi said the FIA and police were holding investigations against him for “using filthy language” against the Chief Justice and his family on the basis of a letter written by the registrar of the Supreme Court. He said the Chief Justice had expressed doubts about integrity of the FIA when it was to hold probe against his son, but regretted that the same FIA had been chosen to hold investigation against him.

The PPP senator said he had not uttered a single word against members of the Chief Justice’s family, except for remarks about his son’s business. Moreover, he said, under the rules, a lawmaker could be summoned for investigations after obtaining a prior approval from the chairman or speaker of the house concerned.

He said only Zahid Khan of the ANP spoke in his favour while he expected it from his party.

Mr Abidi said if in anybody’s opinion he had committed contempt of court he should have been summoned by the court on contempt charge as was done in the case of Babar Awan and others.

He said the country was virtually under a ‘judicial martial law’, with selective justice, unnecessary suo motu notices and stay orders.

Deputy Chairman Sabir Baloch interrupted Mr Abidi more than once to keep the time limitation in view and pointed out that under Rule 226, he could not name any judge. He, however, did not expunge a single word uttered by the PPP legislator on the floor of the house.