Crisis brewing: G-B Supreme Appellate Court strips chief court registrar of powers

Lawyers protest against one-sided proceedings, block roads, plan strategy for further action

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court Registrar Mumtaz Ahmed who was accused of harassing and handcuffing the general manager of a hotel, was stripped of his judicial and administrative powers on Monday. This seems to have sparked a judicial crisis in G-B as scores of lawyers took to the streets and held a demonstration against the court decision. Moreover, a meeting of judges was under way to discuss the emerging situation on the same day.

G-B Supreme Appellate Court Chief Justice Dr Rana Shamim passed the orders of withdrawing Ahmed’s powers while hearing a suo motu notice on the complaint of Serena Hotel Gilgit General Manager Faisal Qayyum who had stated he was handcuffed and humiliated on the registrar’s orders for failing to reserve rooms for his guests in his hotel.

The decision against Ahmed came after G-B chief court and lower court judges “vowed to go to any extreme in fulfilling their duties honestly.”

Brewing discontentment

“In a meeting, judges voiced deep concern over one-sided proceedings which were based on baseless charges by a complainant,” a press release issued by G-B Chief court late Sunday read. It added, “The one-sided proceedings hurt the dignity of the judiciary.”

Earlier in the day while speaking to journalists at Gilgit Press Club, lawyers supported the stance of the registrar and said the suo motu notice was not based on merit and that they would file a reference against the chief judge of Supreme Appellate Court, which is G-B’s apex court.

Before the hearing on Monday, hundreds of lawyers showed up in the apex court to show solidarity with the registrar.

As news of the court’s decision that deprived the registrar of his judicial powers spread, lawyers burnt tyres and protested outside court premises, disrupting traffic on the road for hours.

However, they dispersed later in an attempt to decide future course of action. According to reports, they had convened a meeting where lawyers from across G-B were also expected to come to help their leaders devise a strategy. The president of Supreme Appellate Court Bar and other office bearers could not be contacted immediately since they were busy in a meeting.

“The next hearing will take place after summer vacations,” a lawyer privy to the developments told The Express Tribune. Meanwhile, according to lawyers, after the apex court decision, a meeting of judges was also under way to discuss the situation.

The backdrop

According to lawyers, chief court had reserved two rooms on July 1 for Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan of Peshawar High Court who was on a visit to G-B with his family. He said on his arrival at Serena Hotel on July 15, the hotel management failed to provide the rooms, making the judge and his family wait for hours in the lobby. When the general manager of the hotel was summoned by the registrar, he refused to show up.

The lawyers said at first, Qayyum submitted a written apology for not providing rooms on time but later, approached the apex court with a fabricated story against the registrar.

Qayyum had said in his complaint that Ahmed handcuffed him for not providing him with rooms since his hotel was already booked In advance.

The apex court had hinted at withdrawing judicial powers from Ahmed “for illegal and improper exercise
of authority.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2016.