Politicians shouldn’t drag conflicts to courts: SC

Three-member bench orders LHC to decide Punjab govt intra-court appeal in Elahi’s case on 21st

ISLAMABAD:

An apex court judge has asked politicians of the country not to drag each other to courts and to resolve their conflicts in political arenas.

“To lodge cases against each other is not a good tradition. The situation will, however, not change until the politicians sort out their differences. Politicians drag each other to court to settle personal scores. All of us need to set our houses in order,” said Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail.

Justice Mandokhail was part of a three-member bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan which on Wednesday ordered the Lahore High Court (LHC) to decide an intra-court appeal filed by the Punjab government against the court’s July 14 order with regard to PTI President Parvez Elahi.

A single-judge bench of the LHC on July 14 prohibited authorities from arresting Parvez Elahi, who served as Punjab chief minister twice, in any secret case.

The provincial government, however, moved an intra-court appeal against the July 14 order and a division bench on July 17 suspended the single-bench’s order as it admitted the appeal.

The PTI leader later moved the Supreme Court against the LHC’s July 17 order and the three-member bench on Wednesday ordered the LHC division bench to decide the intra-court appeal on August 21.

The SC bench said in case the LHC does not decide the intra-court appeal on August 21, its stay order will be considered withdrawn.  The court noted that freedom is one of the basic human rights which cannot be put in abeyance even for a moment.

Justice Mandokhail observed that a person [Elahi] is surrendering to the law but the Punjab government is putting hurdles in his way. Justice Shahid Waheed asked as to how the Punjab government could file an intra-court appeal against the relief offered to Elahi by a single-bench.

The court later disposed of Elahi’s petition as it ordered the LHC to decide the intra-court appeal on 21st.