Hearing on contempt plea put off

The Pakistan Qaumi Movement chairperson had approached SC to seek contempt proceedings against chief secretary, CM

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) put off hearing on an application seeking contempt proceedings against the provincial chief secretary and the chief minister for not declaring Urdu as official language in the province in compliance with the apex court's order.

A two-judge bench, comprising Justices Faisal Arab and Sajjad Ali Shah, put off hearing on the plea due to paucity of time at the SC's Karachi Registry.

Pakistan Qaumi Movement Chairperson Syed Muhammad Iqbal Kazmi had approached the apex court to seek contempt of court order proceedings against the chief secretary and CM Murad Ali Shah.

Kazmi recalled that a three-judge bench of the SC, headed by then Chief Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, had directed the federal and provincial governments to adopt Urdu as the official language in the country through its order passed on September, 2015.

He argued that the government was directed to fulfill their constitutional obligations. Therefore, the Centre and the provinces are under obligation to implement the apex court's orders in its letter and spirit, he added.

Kazmi argued that the orders passed by the apex court could not even be debated in Parliament. However, he alleged that these directives had not been implemented upon in Sindh and Urdu had not yet been adopted as the official language in the province.



Therefore, the apex court was pleaded to proceed against the provincial chief secretary and the chief minister for not implementing the apex court's directives.