Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday lambasted the detailed judgement pertaining to the review petitions filed in Justice Qazi Faez Isa case by stating that if a judge could not be held accountable for the assets of their spouse and children then how was it possible to hold politicians and bureaucrats accountable.
The minister in a tweet stated that the judiciary needed introspection in the light of its “fast declining” ranking at the global level.
Fawad claimed that “the new chief justice will have to face this challenge after he takes the oath”
It is pertinent to note that the SC, in its judgement released on Saturday had observed that Justice Isa could not be held liable to account for alleged tax evasion, if any, by his independent spouse, under any law of the land or under any clause in the Code of Conduct prescribed for the judges of superior courts.
“This Court could not have issued any direction to the Council to exercise its suo motu jurisdiction.”
Justice Yahya Afridi in his additional note had written that section 216 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, commanded confidentiality of the information of a tax filer, and breach thereof exposed the delinquent to penal consequences under sections 198 and 199 of the Ordinance.
He further added that PM Imran Khan, Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem, ARU Chairman Mirza Shahzad Akbar and tax officials were liable to penal consequences of violating section 216 of Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
