Lawyer-judge row: SC suspends operation on lower court order
Shafqat Bhatti will now be able to participate in the March 15 elections for the slot of president of the LHC.
The bench suspended operation on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order regarding suspension of the lawyer’s licence. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The country’s top court has suspended operation on a high court order barring a lawyer from practicing.
A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, on Wednesday observed that the court will not discuss the merits of the case at this stage. However, the bench suspended operation on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order regarding suspension of the lawyer’s licence.
The bench also issued notices to the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP), seeking their comments on the case.
Following the apex court order, Shafqat Bhatti will now be able to participate in the March 15 elections for the slot of president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Rawalpindi division.
His nomination papers were challenged in the IHC. Last week, he raised an objection to Justice Shaukat Siddiqui hearing two of his cases on the grounds that the two had been political rivals before Siddiqui was elevated to the bench.
During the proceedings, Bhatti reportedly uttered ‘derogatory’ remarks against Justice Siddiqui, following which the judge suspended the lawyer’s licence and referred the case to the PBC for initiating disciplinary action against him.
Bhatti challenged the IHC order in the Supreme Court.
The apex court on Tuesday sent the unconditional written apology of the lawyer to the same judge for reconsideration, but Justice Siddiqui referred it to IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Anwar Khan Kasi. However, the CJ refused to accept the lawyer’s unconditional apology, noting that he had not completely thrown himself on the mercy of the court.
The SC bench on Wednesday observed that the court did not suspend the lawyer’s licence immediately, which raises a question over the IHC’s March 7 order.
In the last hearing, Supreme Court Bar Association President Kamran Murtaza alleged that the judge had suspended Bhatti’s licence without hearing his arguments.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.
The country’s top court has suspended operation on a high court order barring a lawyer from practicing.
A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, on Wednesday observed that the court will not discuss the merits of the case at this stage. However, the bench suspended operation on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order regarding suspension of the lawyer’s licence.
The bench also issued notices to the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP), seeking their comments on the case.
Following the apex court order, Shafqat Bhatti will now be able to participate in the March 15 elections for the slot of president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Rawalpindi division.
His nomination papers were challenged in the IHC. Last week, he raised an objection to Justice Shaukat Siddiqui hearing two of his cases on the grounds that the two had been political rivals before Siddiqui was elevated to the bench.
During the proceedings, Bhatti reportedly uttered ‘derogatory’ remarks against Justice Siddiqui, following which the judge suspended the lawyer’s licence and referred the case to the PBC for initiating disciplinary action against him.
Bhatti challenged the IHC order in the Supreme Court.
The apex court on Tuesday sent the unconditional written apology of the lawyer to the same judge for reconsideration, but Justice Siddiqui referred it to IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Anwar Khan Kasi. However, the CJ refused to accept the lawyer’s unconditional apology, noting that he had not completely thrown himself on the mercy of the court.
The SC bench on Wednesday observed that the court did not suspend the lawyer’s licence immediately, which raises a question over the IHC’s March 7 order.
In the last hearing, Supreme Court Bar Association President Kamran Murtaza alleged that the judge had suspended Bhatti’s licence without hearing his arguments.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2014.