LHC Judge Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan to undergo open trial in SJC over name in Panama Papers

LHC Judge Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan to undergo open trial in SJC over name in Panama Papers

ISLAMABAD - An open trial of a Lahore High Court (LHC) judge Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan would be conducted by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Justice Farrukh Irfan name appeared in the Panama Papers in 2016.

The five-judge SJC, led by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, will conduct the trial of Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan on January 3.

Additional Attorney General for Pakistan Chaudhry Amir Rehman being the prosecutor will present witnesses to substantiate the case against the judge. The witnesses will also be crossed examined on the same day.

The council has also asked the LHC judge to present his defence witnesses on January 8. Sources revealed the council held an in-camera meeting on Monday (December 31). In that meeting, the LHC judge’s plea for open trial was accepted.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court PRO office sent a message to media that case of the LHC judge will be taken up in an open court at 3 O’clock. Later, it was conveyed to media that the meeting has been postponed. Now, it is learnt that the case will be taken up on January 3.

This will be the second time the SJC will conduct an open trial of a judge. Earlier in November, the council recommended to sack the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, who had accused the prime intelligence agency of manipulating benches.