The Supreme Court has taken suo moto notice of Senator Faisal Vawda’s controversial press conference, during which he openly criticized the judges of the superior judiciary. This move comes in response to a report by 24NewsHD TV channel highlighting the senator’s contentious remarks.
The Islamabad High Court’s Registrar’s Office swiftly responded to a letter from Faisal Vawda a day after the senator expressed frustration over the court’s apparent lack of response. In his letter, Vawda had sought information regarding Justice Babar Sattar’s green card status prior to his appointment.
In a detailed response, the Registrar’s Office clarified that holding citizenship or residency in another country does not disqualify an individual from becoming a judge under the Constitution. Furthermore, the response explained that the high court does not conduct inquiries into dual citizenship when appointing lawyers as judges.
During the hearing of the NAB amendments case in the Supreme Court, Justice Athar Minallah made a pointed remark about the issuance of threats to the judges. In response, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Khan condemned these threats, emphasizing their unacceptability. Justice Minallah, however, expressed a more lenient view, stating, “Let them speak; they are exposing themselves.”
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, is scheduled to conduct the hearing tomorrow, with Justice Irfan Saadat and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan joining the bench. This development marks a crucial moment in the ongoing saga, as the judiciary addresses the repercussions of Senator Vawda’s contentious statements.
