The Pakistan Army on Sunday, 22 July, asked the country’s Supreme Court to take action, a day after a high court judge accused the country's powerful ISI spy agency of meddling in the affairs of the judiciary and pressuring the chief justice and other judges to get favourable verdicts.
Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui a judge at the Islamabad High Court had alleged that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was manipulating judicial proceedings in several cases, including that of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif. “Their (ISI) personnel get benches formed at their will,” Siddiqui had alleged.
Today, the judiciary and media have come in the cobtrol of ‘Bandookwala’ (army). Judiciary is not independent. Even the media is getting directions from the military. The media is not speaking the truth because it is under pressure and has its interest.Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, Islamabad High Court judge
ISI Asked Me to Be Off Bench In Avenfield Case
While Sharif is serving a 10-year term, Maryam is seven-year term in the Avenfield corruption case. The bench has deferred their appeal after the elections, which are scheduled to be held on 25 July.
According to PTI, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said:
In different cases, the ISI forms benches of its choice to get desired results. The ISI had asked the Chief Justice to make sure that Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz should not come out of jail before 25 July election. It also had asked him not to include me in the bench hearing the appeal of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter on Avenfield case. The CJ tolf ISI that he would make a bench of its choice.
Army ‘Requests’ Action Against Judge
Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a statement said that an “honourable judge” had leveled serious allegations against state institutions, including judiciary and the premier intelligence agency.
In order to safeguard the sanctity and credibility of the state institutions, honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan has been requested to initiate appropriate process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take actions accordingly.Major General Asif Ghafoor
Earlier Chief Justice Saqib Nisar also took serious notice of Siddiqui's remarks.
The top judge also ordered the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to provide the complete record of the speech.
Siddiqui also claimed that he was approached by the ISI with an offer to make him the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court.
Nawaz Sharif On The Verge of Kidney failure
Jailed Nawaz Sharif is on the verge of a kidney failure and doctors have recommended to shift him to a hospital immediately, according to a media report.
A team of doctors from Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC), headed by its Chief Executive Major General (retd) Dr Azhar Mehmood Kayani, visited the prison and compiled a report after carrying out a detailed medical check-up. The report has now been sent to the Punjab Health secretary.
The findings in the report suggest that Sharif be shifted to a hospital immediately, The Express Tribune reported.
Although his personal physician Dr Adnan had seen him twice in recent days, the jail administration called doctors from RIC to be sure of what had happened. The team spent about one-and-a-half hour inspecting his condition.
According to the medical board, his body's water levels are very low, which has made his heartbeat erratic now. The amount of urea in his blood has also become very high, which could even lead to kidney failure, the report said.
The board's findings suggested that Sharif be shifted to hospital immediately, it added.
Sharif had complained about his health on Saturday, 21 July. and the Punjab health secretary constituted a medical board to examine him.
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