ISLAMABAD: Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro of the Islamabad High Court on Thursday remarked that only the Supreme Judicial Council has the authority to take action against a serving judge.
Justice Soomro gave the remark while hearing a contempt petition filed by Advocate Kalsoom Khaliq against Justice Saman Riffat Imtiaz.
The petitioner submitted that the Registrar’s Office had raised objections to her petition. She claimed that Justice Saman Riffat had made unlawful observations against her. “My name was included in the list for a Supreme Court license, but after the judge’s observations, I was denied the license,” she said, urging that contempt proceedings be initiated against Justice Saman Riffat.
Justice Soomro asked the petitioner “Can one judge take action against another judge?” She responded that the observations violated the Chief Justice’s order. Justice Soomro replied that “If any action is to be taken against a sitting judge or Chief Justice, it can only be done by the Supreme Judicial Council.”
Petitioner Kalsoom referred to a division bench ruling in the Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri case, but Justice Soomro noted that the Supreme Court’s five-member bench had set aside that decision. “Would it be appropriate if we started contempt proceedings or issued orders against one another?” he remarked.
Justice Soomro observed that every judge has their own method of conducting court proceedings, and no judge can issue directions to another. Petitioner Kalsoom maintained that while a single bench made observations against her, a committee of three judges, including the Chief Justice, conducted the interviews. She reiterated that due to Justice Saman Riffat’s remarks, she was unable to obtain her Supreme Court license.
The hearing was later adjourned, and a written order will be issued.
