Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court on Tuesday recused himself from the bench hearing the appeal challenging the cancellation of Pervez Musharraf`s bail in the judges` detention case on account of what he called a smear campaign against him on social networking websites.

Justice Siddiqui dissociated himself from the IHC`s divisional bench, comprising himself and Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan, at the start of today`s hearing of the appeal.

The appeal was filed against the rejection of the former military ruler’s post-arrest bail petition by the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad.

The recusing judge said a campaign was being run against him on social media with regard to the case which was why he could no longer be a member of the bench.

As a result, the bench stood dissolved and the matter of the appeal`s hearing was forwarded to the IHC whose chief judge, Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi, would decide on the issue tomorrow.

The Dawn