Ahsan Iqbal seeks exemption from appearance before court

Requests LHC to adjourn hearing of case till after the polls

LAHORE: A three-judge bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday adjourned hearing of a contempt case against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal for a week after he submitted a plea seeking exemption from appearing before the court in view of polls engagements.

During the proceedings, the LHC bench headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi said it will review Iqbal’s application in accordance with law.

Earlier, Iqbal’s counsel requested the bench to adjourn the case till the end of election, which is scheduled to be held on July 25. Later, the bench put off the hearing till June 29.

Talking to media outside the court, the former interior minister said the international media had also claimed that only the PML-N quaid Nawaz Sharif was being targeted.



“We don’t want politics on the basis of prejudice,” he said. However, Iqbal reiterated that he respected the judiciary and other institutions and that the mistrust among the institutions must end.

Iqbal expressed his deep concern over the PML-N stalwart Zaeem Hussain Qadri’s on Thursday press conference, in which he accused the PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif of nepotism after not getting a party ticket and announced contesting polls as an independent candidate.

“If Zaeem Qadri had reservations he should have complained to the seniors of the party,” he said, adding that if someone had reservations over the party decisions, he should first discuss or complain inside the party rather than holding press conferences