‘Bring your lawyer to court or go to jail’
Justice Chaudhry was hearing a National Accountability Bureau appeal against Mr Khokhar’s acquittal.
LAHORE:
Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday asked Haji Nawaz Khokhar, a former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, to ensure his lawyer’s appearance before the court on the next date of hearing failing which he would be sent to jail.
Heading an LHC division bench, Justice Chaudhry was hearing a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeal against Mr Khokhar’s acquittal.
The court had received a letter of attorney from Chaudhry Aitezaz Ahsan on behalf of Mr Khokhar and an associate of Mr Ahsan sought adjournment saying that he was unable to appear before the court because he was abroad. Justice Chaudhry asked why Mr Khokhar should not be sent to jail to force him to ensure his counsel’s appearance. It appeared, he said, that Mr Khokhar was deliberately wasting the court’s time by seeking unnecessary adjournments.
The respondent, he said, appeared to believe that irrespective of the merits of the case he could avoid any action against him by using delaying tactics. On an assurance from Mr Ahsan’s associate, the bench adjourned the hearing till September 22.
At the previous hearing, the bench had issued Haji Nawaz Khokhar the notice in the appeal. The accountability bureau is challenging Mr Khokhar’s acquittal from a corruption reference under the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
On November 17, 2008, a division bench of the LHC had set aside the imprisonment and fine awarded to Mr Khokhar by an accountability court.
In the accountability bureau reference, Mr Khokhar was accused of illegally transferring 150-kanal community land in Loi Bher village near Islamabad in his wife’s name. On June 15, 2004, an accountability court had convicted Mr Khokhar and sentenced him to three years imprisonment and a Rs1.89 million fine.
Mr Khokhar was also prohibited from contesting elections, holding public office or obtaining bank loans for 10 years.
In its appeal, the National Accountability Bureau pleaded that he was acquitted under the NRO and that after the annulment of the ordinance by the Supreme Court the reference against him stood restored. For his part, Mr Khokhar insists that he was acquitted on merit.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2010.
Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday asked Haji Nawaz Khokhar, a former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, to ensure his lawyer’s appearance before the court on the next date of hearing failing which he would be sent to jail.
Heading an LHC division bench, Justice Chaudhry was hearing a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeal against Mr Khokhar’s acquittal.
The court had received a letter of attorney from Chaudhry Aitezaz Ahsan on behalf of Mr Khokhar and an associate of Mr Ahsan sought adjournment saying that he was unable to appear before the court because he was abroad. Justice Chaudhry asked why Mr Khokhar should not be sent to jail to force him to ensure his counsel’s appearance. It appeared, he said, that Mr Khokhar was deliberately wasting the court’s time by seeking unnecessary adjournments.
The respondent, he said, appeared to believe that irrespective of the merits of the case he could avoid any action against him by using delaying tactics. On an assurance from Mr Ahsan’s associate, the bench adjourned the hearing till September 22.
At the previous hearing, the bench had issued Haji Nawaz Khokhar the notice in the appeal. The accountability bureau is challenging Mr Khokhar’s acquittal from a corruption reference under the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
On November 17, 2008, a division bench of the LHC had set aside the imprisonment and fine awarded to Mr Khokhar by an accountability court.
In the accountability bureau reference, Mr Khokhar was accused of illegally transferring 150-kanal community land in Loi Bher village near Islamabad in his wife’s name. On June 15, 2004, an accountability court had convicted Mr Khokhar and sentenced him to three years imprisonment and a Rs1.89 million fine.
Mr Khokhar was also prohibited from contesting elections, holding public office or obtaining bank loans for 10 years.
In its appeal, the National Accountability Bureau pleaded that he was acquitted under the NRO and that after the annulment of the ordinance by the Supreme Court the reference against him stood restored. For his part, Mr Khokhar insists that he was acquitted on merit.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2010.