The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday summoned Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal in a contempt of court petition, a private TV channel reported.
A full bench, headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, began hearing of a petition filed against the minister by Advocate Azhar Siddique accusing him of making contemptuous remarks against Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.
The high court sent a notice to Iqbal, directing him to appear in person before the court on May 7.
Another contempt of court petition was filed against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader in Supreme Court by Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi. Terming the interior minister’s statements against the chief justice as derogatory, the petition prayed the top court to disqualify Iqbal under articles 62 and 63 of the constitution.
The interior minister while speaking at a seminar in Islamabad on April 25 had strongly denounced accusations of misuse of authority leveled by the chief justice. “Look, the chief justice can sit on the bench and say Ahsan Iqbal got a vice chancellor appointed,” thundered Iqbal. “Mr Chief Justice have a heart. When you are disrespected, we are also disrespected.” “You have no right to name-call people. You must issue me [a] charge sheet. If you have evidence, produce it before me but enough is enough,” Iqbal had said.
Published in Daily Times, May 3rd 2018.
