Former Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said he resigned immediately after being told the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) chairmanship was given as compensation, clarifying his decision at a farewell reference.
“On the day I was made to realise that the NIRC chairmanship had been given as compensation, I resigned immediately,” Siddiqui said while addressing a farewell reference held in his honour by the Supreme Court Bar Association’s vice president.
The former NIRC chairman said Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar contacted him in November 2024 to assume the role, and he formally took charge on December 4, 2024, when there was increasing pressure to shut down the institution.
Siddiqui said there were 5,380 pending cases at the NIRC at the time. He added that by December 31, 2025, 5,261 cases had been decided, while 5,522 new cases were filed during the same period, which he said reflected growing public trust in the institution.
Responding to questions about his sudden resignation, he said he made decisions from the heart rather than the mind, adding that speeches had often cost him dearly. “I do not run after positions,” he said, adding that he had accepted the NIRC chairmanship as a challenge.
The former judge said he did not want any favour and therefore resigned the moment the position was described as compensation. He added that he left matters concerning allegations and damage to his career to Allah, saying that Allah was the best judge.
Addressing journalist and YouTuber Matiullah Jan present in the hall, Siddiqui said the time had come for both to sit face to face, adding that he would then explain who he described as an “establishment tout”.
