Anti-judiciary rant: Judge seeks comments over former senator’s tirade

Petitioner says police did not bother to entertain his complaint

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the Islampura SHO in a petition filed by a man hoping to register a case against former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Nihal Hashmi.

Nihal allegedly posed death threats to investigators of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Panama leaks scandal.



The petitioner, Ali Ijaz, said the accused had directly threatened judges who gave a dissenting note in the Panama verdict. Nihal, while addressing a public rally, said, “We will make this land narrow for you and your children. You are on duty today. Remember, you will be retiring tomorrow. We will make your life and your family members’ lives miserable in Pakistan,” the former senator reportedly said.

Ali asked that an FIR be registered against the accused for posing death threats, tarnishing the image of judges, intervening in state matters and delivering hate speech. He added that he approached the concerned SHO, but the policeman did not bother to entertain him. However, additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the Islampura SHO.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) also condemned the statement of Nihal against the Supreme Court judges and JIT, terming it a move of the government to make the Panama paper investigation controversial.



PBC vice chairman Ahsan Bhoon and chairman executive Hafeezur Rehman, in a joint statement, said that the wording was a threat to the SC judges, especially those who were on the Panama verdict implementation bench.

They said the objective of Hashmi’s statement was to pressurise the JIT and judges of the apex court. The lawyers added the verbal attack of Hashmi against the apex court.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2017.