Derogatory remarks: Asif told to appear before court on Dec 19

Judge says the defence minister is bound to appear before the court

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday ordered Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to appear in person before the court on December 19 over his alleged derogatory remarks against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Dr Shireen Mazari.

A division bench of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddqui and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued directions for the minister after he failed to appear before the bench on Thursday.

At the last hearing of the case, the court had offered to mediate between the two politicians and resolve their quarrel. Counsels for the parliamentarians were directed to ask their respective clients to appear in court on December 8.

When the case was taken up on Thursday, the counsel for the defence minister told the court that Asif was busy in a meeting which is why he could not come to court.

“The defence minister is bound to comply with court orders [to appear before it] even if it’s a cabinet meeting or any other,” Justice Siddiqui remarked. Subsequently, the bench ordered Asif to appear in person before the court on the next date of hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2016.