ISLAMABAD: Justice Qazi Faez Isa has raised questions on the eligibility of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar for public office and his appointment as the head of Asset Recovery Unit (ARU).
A 10-member judge bench, led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, will resume hearing the judicial reference against Justice Isa on June 2, which was earlier scheduled to be taken up on March 30. The apex court had postponed the hearing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On the last hearing on February 24, the federal government had sought three weeks’ adjournment.
The Supreme Court judge has raised 15 questions in a rejoinder submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday in a case pertaining to the offshore properties owned by his family members which were not declared in his tax returns.
Justice Isa has challenged the presidential reference filed against him in the Supreme Judicial Council and filed a petition in the SC saying the case was based on mala fide intent.
The judge questioned Akbar’s eligibility to be appointed as ARU chief and the procedure adopted for his appointment.
“Who appointed Shahzad Akbar?” he asked.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa has raised questions on the eligibility of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar for public office and his appointment as the head of Asset Recovery Unit (ARU).
A 10-member judge bench, led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, will resume hearing the judicial reference against Justice Isa on June 2, which was earlier scheduled to be taken up on March 30. The apex court had postponed the hearing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On the last hearing on February 24, the federal government had sought three weeks’ adjournment.
The Supreme Court judge has raised 15 questions in a rejoinder submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday in a case pertaining to the offshore properties owned by his family members which were not declared in his tax returns.
Justice Isa has challenged the presidential reference filed against him in the Supreme Judicial Council and filed a petition in the SC saying the case was based on mala fide intent.
The judge questioned Akbar’s eligibility to be appointed as ARU chief and the procedure adopted for his appointment.
“Who appointed Shahzad Akbar?” he asked.
Justice Isa also demanded the information about the assets owned by SAPM Akbar’s family and whether he has declared these in his returns or not.
The SC judge said that ARU is an illegal entity and the money spent on it is a ‘theft’ of public money and the the unit collected the information about him through unlawful means.
He also contended that former attorney general Anwar Mansoor Khan, Law Minister Farogh Naseem and SAPM Akbar were in contempt of court.-Web Desk
