LHC fines petitioner for 'baseless' plea

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday imposed a Rs100,000 fine on a petitioner for filing a "baseless" contempt petition and wasting the court's time.

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum directed the petitioner to deposit the fine before the court would hear the case, observing that all relevant facts and circumstances must be considered before filing a petition.

The chief justice made the remarks while hearing the contempt petition filed by a citizen, Ashba Kamran, alleging that a Supreme Court judgment prohibiting personal publicity through public funds had been violated for the past two-and-a-half years.

During the hearing, the chief justice asked the petitioner to identify the order allegedly violated and asked why the petition had been filed as a contempt case.

The court observed that the petitioner could face a Rs100,000 penalty for wasting judicial time and subsequently imposed the fine.

The petition had been filed against the Punjab chief minister, chief secretary and speaker.