Court adjourns Ahsan Iqbal's contempt case till September 5

Iqbal had submitted an unconditional apology in an earlier hearing

LAHORE: The conduct of former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal will be closely monitored both in and outside the courtroom, a three-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) said on Monday.

The bench, headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, was hearing a petition against Iqbal for his contemptuous statement against Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar during a speech in Islamabad.

Justice Atir Mahmood and Justice Chaudhary Masood Jahangir were the other members of the bench.

On Monday, the former minister once again submitted his unconditional written apology before the court and surrendered himself at the mercy of the court.

“You should show more tolerance than a common man as you are a political leader,” the bench told Iqbal, a senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.

“PPP also faced tough time but never lashed out at the judiciary,” one of the members of the bench remarked, adding that it is the PML-N] that has launched a tirade against the judiciary.



Iqbal's counsel advocate Azam Nazir Tarar requested the bench to dispose of the contempt proceedings against his client as he had tendered his apology, but the bench rejected the plea.

Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) President Anwarul Haq Pannu and former president of the same bar Abid Saqi also appeared before the court.

Justice Atir Mahmood observed that inside the courtroom, a different statement is given while outside the courtroom it is totally different. An impression is also being given that a particular party is being targeted, he said.

The bench made it clear that the judiciary was not part of any political party or any agenda.

Iqbal’s counsel said there was no such thing on the part of his client, to which the bench observed that they could see by summoning record of the videos containing his statements and conferences.

Advocate Azhar Siddique, the petitioner’s counsel, said the bench would have to see the apology of Iqbal in view of his conduct outside the court. He said the former minister changes his stance before court and media.

To this, the bench observed that they would resume the hearing of the case after the summer vacation and put off further hearings till September 5. However, the bench made it clear that they would monitor Iqbal’s conduct before taking any decision on his unconditional apology.

NA-57

Taking up another case of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s petition against the rejection of his nomination papers to contest election from NA-57 in Murree as well as his disqualification by an appellate tribunal, the bench adjourned the hearing till Tuesday (today).

The court would also take up the petition of PTI’s spokesperson Fawad Chaudhary.

During its previous hearing, the court had suspended decisions of appellate tribunals about the fate of both candidates and allowed them to contest election from their constituencies.