Lawyer’s logic-defying petition laughed out of court

Petitioner demanded PPP chairman’s identity card should be cancelled

ISLAMABAD: A lawyer, who was unhappy about former president Asif Ali Zardari’s children changing their caste, was left red-faced when the Islamabad High Court dismissed his petition for lacking any logic even as he was midway through his arguments.

“My lord, I would like to draw court’s attention towards a very serious and important issue,” said lawyer Raees Abdul Wahid while appearing before Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

“Is there any threat to the national security,” the judge asked amusingly without letting on that he knew the lawyer was in the courtroom for gaining some prominence rather than a quest for justice.

“Yes my lord … you see people change their name,” Wahid started his arguments.

“I do not see any problem with that,” a mystified Justice Aurangzeb countered.

“I mean people have changed their caste, my lord,” Wahid reasoned.

Justice Aurangzeb then asked the lawyer to present any legal provision which bars people from doing so.

“Bilawal is a public figure, people follow him and he should not have changed his caste,” Wahid stammered, adding in the same breath the court should issue instructions for cancelling Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s identity card.

Justice Aurangzeb reminded the lawyer that such an order could not be passed until he convinces the court over the legal aspect of his demand, noting that litigants, staffers, reporters and others present in the courtroom had burst into laughter over Wahid’s demand.

Undeterred Wahid continued his arguments, claiming that the children of the former president and slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto had changed their caste to include the name ‘Bhutto’ in their names only to draw advantages.

As Wahid paused to draw a breath, Justice Aurangzeb simply uttered “dismissed”.

This led to another burst of laughter in the courtroom. As the petition was dismissed, Wahid was spotted giggling nervously and joined the queue of people walking out of the courtroom.

Justice Aurangzeb, who is known for taking his time to deliberate cases before announcing his decisions, had summarily dismissed Wahid’s petition while declaring that the petition as not maintainable amidst a burst of laughter without any delay.

“Shouldn’t the court fine lawyers for such a petition and hilarious arguments,” wondered some who were present in the courtroom.

Wahid had filed his petition nearly a decade after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s chairman added “Bhutto” to his name.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2017.