Lawmakers tender apology to court

Say they have the highest respect for senior judges

LAHORE: Two parliamentarians of PML-N and four others, facing contempt proceedings for using derogatory language against country’s top judge, tendered unconditional apologies before a full bench of Lahore High Court on Wednesday.

PMLN’s MNA Waseem Akhtar and MPA Naeem Safdar had taken out an anti-judiciary rally in Kasur where they used harsh language against judges.

A full bench, headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, appointed a provincial law officer as prosecutor to indict them on the next hearing on May 11.

During the hearing, video clips of the protest rally held by PML-N leaders were also played on an electronic projector. All six facing the proceedings said they regret their action/words.

The suspects said they had great respect for the judiciary as they also participated in the movement for the restoration of an independent judiciary during Musharraf’s regime. Justice Naqvi observed that the court was fully conversant with the so-called role of their party in the lawyers’ movement.



Lawyers from the petitioners’ side contended that the offenders did not deserve any relaxation and the court should punish them to set an example.

The bench also dismissed an application for adjournment moved on behalf of Advocate Ali Ahmad Kurd, the counsel of the parliamentarians.

The judges observed that the lawyer did not mention any cogent reason in the application for his unavailability.

The bench appointed Additional Advocate General Shan Gull as prosecutor for the indictment of the accused persons in contempt of court proceedings. The bench adjourned the hearing till May 11. Names of the accused have already been placed on the exit control list on the orders of the court.

President of Kasur District Bar Association Mirza Naseem and others had filed the petitions pleading that the protest rally taken out by the parliamentarians and local government leaders affiliated with the ruling PML-N was a planned conspiracy against the institution of judiciary.

The petitioners said the act of the respondent parliamentarians amounted to contempt of court and they were all liable to be punished under the law. They asked the court to also declare the respondents disqualified besides launching contempt proceedings against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2018.