'Delay in justice' pushes litigant to set himself on fire at LHC

A litigant, frustrated over delays in his legal proceedings, set himself on fire within the premises of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday, raising questions about security measures that allowed him to bring petrol inside the court. Police officials and bystanders quickly intervened to extinguish the flames, while rescue teams rushed the injured man to the nearest hospital for treatment.

The litigant, identified as Asif Javed, had been dismissed from his job at a local company in 2016.

In 2019, a labour court ruled in his favour, overturning his dismissal. However, the company appealed the decision at the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), which dismissed their appeal on November 23, 2020.

Subsequently, the company challenged the ruling in the Lahore High Court. During Tuesday's proceedings, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was presiding over the case when Javed's lawyer, Athar Aziz Chaudhry, sought additional time to submit a power of attorney.

The lawyer informed the court that he had only recently been appointed as Javed's legal representative and required more time to complete the formalities.