Pakistan
SJC moved against IHC Justice Sattar ‘for allegedly obtaining official residence of his choice ’
Muhammad Ayub, former DG Housing Estate, alleges that Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court used judicial influence and put pressure on the Ministry of Housing and Works to obtain allotment of a house
Islamabad: A plea has been written to the Supreme Judicial Council seeking action against IHC Justice Babar Sattar for allegedly misusing his powers and influencing the Ministry of Housing and Works to obtain official residence Islamabad.
The plea has also been sent to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, other senior judges of the Supreme Court as well as to the chief justices of the Islamabad High Court Chief and Balochistan High Court
Muhammad Ayub, former DG Housing Estate, filed the plea with subject title “information pertaining to manipulation of Islamabad High Court judge position for allotment of choice official residence”, and sought action against Justice Sattar.
The development took place few months after IHC six judges including Justice Babar Sattar wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council over ‘pressure and inference’ into their judicial work.
Mr. Ayub alleged that Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court used judicial influence and put pressure on the Ministry of Housing and Works to obtain allotment of a house of his own choice in Islamabad.
“As a moral obligation I want to bring it into your knowledge for appropriate redressal/ probe at your end,” he wrote, while asking the Supreme Judicial Council and the senior judges of the higher judiciary including Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa for proper inquiry into the said matter.
He claimed that the order was issued on the proceedings by Justice Babar Sattar which created an opportunity to manage allotment of Category 1 (I-type) house for himself and other judges of the court. He said that as a principle of natural justice the case being a conflict of interest night not have been accepted by Babar Sattar.
Mr. Ayub said that the order not only deprived and affected 2700 federal servants but also BS-22 officers who are rightfully entitled for Category-1 (I-type House).
“The matter actually started in 2023, when Justice Babar Sattar started his efforts for allotment of Category-1 (I-Type) house from Ministry of Housing and Works at the time of then Secretary Iftikhar Shilwani,” he said in his letter.
The former DG said that in June 2023 Ms Sumaira Nazir Siddiquí (Retired BS-22 Officer of Customs Group) filed a petition against Ministry of Housing and Works, when her house allotment of Category-1 was cancelled by the Ministry of Housing and Works as she was no more entitled.
He said that this was taken as an opportunity by Justice Babar Sattar to grill Ministry of Housing and Works. Justice Sattar, he said, started hearing the case very vigorously and indirectly conveyed message for allotment of his own house.
He asked the Ministry to present all allotment details of Category-1 houses and started observing all rules/regulations.
“On enquiring through ministry staff I got to know that then Secretary Housing, Joint Secretary Estate Ghulam Sarwar Mandokhail, Additional Secretary Waqas Ali Mehmood, Deputy Secretary Estate Saeed Malik and other representatives were called by Justice Babar Sattar frequently. At that time justice Arbab Tahir and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri were also present there,” he added.
The IHC order, he said, created space for the judge to grab opportunity for desired allotment as many houses (all categories including Cat-1 (1-type located at prime locations of Sector F-6) got vacated including house of the petitioner Ms Sumaira Nazir Siddiqui.
Thus, he argued, that Justice Babar Sattar managed allotment of house for himself and also against vacant slots of Judges.
He further alleged that the said judge also managed huge amounts, approximately six to seven million rupees for renovation of his house through Public Works Department causing heavy burden on national exchequer.
The former DG informed the SJC that many eligible federal government servants who have been waiting for many years were deprived of their rightful allotments. Whereas a custodian of law, he said, who being ineligible and not entitled managed undue top category house allotment.
He submitted that presently, there are a total 30 Category-1 (1-Type) houses, 6 houses were already allotted to IHC judges and 4 more houses were managed by Justice Babar Sattar through this manipulation, making it a total of 10 Category-1 (IType) houses.
On the other hand there are around 65 BS-22 officers in Islamabad who are entitled for these accommodation but couldn't get rightful entitlement whereas Justice Babar Sattar managed two reserve houses for even vacant slots of judges.
He said that he took matter to the IHC CJ to take notice of it.
Mr. Ayub said that he gathered a lot of courage out of his conscious to play is role as a moral obligation and highlighted what he said injustice.
He asked the SJC and the top judge to review the rightful allotment of the houses and bring those who are responsible for this to justice.
He also asked the SJC to hold Justice Sattar accountable and bring him to justice.