IHC rescinds demand for explanation from drivers

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration has withdrawn an explanation sought from HC drivers for “roughly crossing and overtaking” the vehicle of administration judge Aamer Farooq.

On June 29, the IHC deputy registrar had sought an explanation from five high court officials. Four of them were drivers.
The letter read that the judges and officials of this court were coming back from Haripur after offering funeral prayers of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah’s mother-in-law in escort vehicles. "[The] Vehicles of the judges and assistant registrar (protocol) reportedly driven by you roughly crossed/overtook the vehicle of the administration judge using horn[s] loudly,” it added.

The letter further told them that their act was against decorum and protocol, besides causing inconvenience to the administration judge and warranted strict disciplinary action.

The IHC drivers were given seven days to submit their explanation as to why disciplinary proceedings may not be initiated against them under efficiency and discipline rules. In case they did not submit an explanation, it would be presumed that they had no defence to offer.

Subsequently, the letter has withdrawn on Saturday by saying that there was no need to submit any explanation as it was issued due to some “misperception”.

It is learnt that explanation letter was issued in the absence of Justice Minallah as he was in his hometown. When he returned, the letter was immediately withdrawn.

The explanation letter became viral on social media, causing embarrassment for the high court.

Also read: SC judge irked by ‘culture of crying foul’

Senior lawyers believe that such letters should not be issued without the approval of the IHC CJ.  They say that judges should show magnanimity in such matters.

Jean Shah, the mother-in-law of the IHC CJ, was the wife of former judge of Supreme Court Justice Ghulam Safdar. She had passed away at the age of 85 on June 27.

She was laid to rest in her native village of Sirikot in Haripur, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Judges of the Supreme Court and IHC, notables of the area, session court judges, senior lawyers, government officials and a large number of people attended her funeral prayers.

She had seen difficult times in her life as her husband, the late Justice Safdar Shah, had to leave the country after facing the ire of then military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq for his dissenting note in the Supreme Court verdict in the Nawab Mohammad Ahmed Khan murder case in which PPP founder and former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was awarded the capital punishment.

(With input from agencies)