Pakistan govt files complaint against top judges for not disclosing foreign properties
Islamabad: The Imran Khan government has filed a complaint of misconduct against some Supreme Court and High Court judges for hiding their foreign properties in countries like Spain and the UK, according to a media report on Tuesday.
President Arif Alvi has sent a reference of misconduct against three apex court judges who, allegedly, did not declare their foreign properties in their wealth statements, The Express Tribune reported.
However, there is no official confirmation whether the Supreme Judicial Council has received the reference against the judges.
The references, prepared by the law ministry, were filed with the help of a former Supreme Court judge, the report said said.
The wife of one of the judges purchased some property in Spain which was not disclosed in his wealth statement, the report said.
Legal experts said they would see whether the spouse is listed as a dependent in the tax records of the judge.
A complaint has also been lodged against a few high courts judges, one of whom allegedly owns inherent property in the UK.
The cash-strapped Imran Khan government has vowed to bring back all ill-gotten wealth of people who have stashed them abroad.
Earlier on Monday, Pakistan's Supreme Court began hearing cases through video link, a development which the apex court said will benefit the litigants, lawyers and save time and money.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel formally initiated the proceedings of cases through the e-Court system at principal seat Islamabad and the Supreme Court Karachi registry.
"It is for the first time in judicial history of Pakistan that cases in the Supreme Court of Pakistan are heard through videolink connectivity," the Supreme Court of Pakistan said in a statement.
Initially, the e-court system will be available in Supreme Court, Islamabad and Karachi registry.
The advocates of Karachi, whose cases were fixed for hearing at Supreme Court Branch Registry Karachi, argued their cases through a video-link and the bench at principal seat Islamabad heard and decided the cases. Chief Justice Khosa while hearing first case through the technology remarked that a big milestone has been achieved in the judicial history of Pakistan that case are been heard through latest technology.
"The facility will benefit lawyers and litigants to save them time and money," he said.
He also praised the IT Committee of Supreme Court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and other stakeholders for their untiring efforts that made this project successful.
During Monday's first proceedings, the pre-arrest plea for bail of a murder suspect was approved, Geo News reported.
The suspect was named in a murder case in 2014 in Shadabpur, said Chief Justice Khosa, adding that he was not involved in the murder.
