Parliament has voted to remove Criminal Court Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad from office, acting on a motion submitted by the Judicial Service Commission citing judicial misconduct. The legislature endorsed the decision with 56 members in favour and eight opposed, after the Judiciary Committee determined that the commission’s recommendation had adhered to procedural requirements.
The dismissal followed an inquiry that found Judge Faiz had violated constitutional statutes during the detention hearings of Ali Anwar, a suspect accused of involvement in major drug trafficking operations. Investigators concluded that, despite Anwar’s alleged role in significant narcotics trafficking, the judge ordered his unconditional release after the expiration of a five‑day remand.
Judge Faiz’s removal comes after a series of disciplinary measures. In October, he was suspended for sixty days over his handling of the detention of Haleemath Lamha, a defendant in a murder trial. He had previously faced a two‑month suspension in 2021 in connection with a leaked audio incident.
Under the Judges Act, Parliament is authorised to remove a judge if the Judicial Service Commission deems them incompetent or guilty of misconduct, provided the motion secures a two‑thirds majority in the legislature.