LHC resumes hearing of show-cause notice to Punjab advocate general

Advocate General of Punjab Ahmad Awais was issued contempt of court notice over his conduct.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday resumed hearing of a show-cause notice issued to Advocate General of Punjab Ahmad Awais, under the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2002 for his contemptuous conduct he showed during the announcement of an interim order about the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed by the provincial government to conduct reinvestigation into 2014 Model Town Tragedy.

The three-judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, and two others including Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan and Justice Aalia Neelum, presided over the hearing and expressed annoyance over the conduct of advocate general.

“Does he want to reply to the notice or not?” Justice Qasim asked, while regretting on his attitude.

“What message does he want to convey to other officers?” he further asked, adding that he is the first AGP who has adopted such a behavior.

Justice Neelum also expressed displeasure by stating that such misconception should be removed that the court could be pressurised.

Justice Shehzad remarked, “You all have gathered to put pressure on the court.”

To these remarks, advocate Zulfiqar Chaudhary responded, “We don’t want to divert the matter somewhere else.” Justice Neelum replied, “Three judges have been waiting for advocate general of Punjab.”

To which, Chaudhary said, “He is coming soon.”

In its written order, the court observed, “The conduct of Advocate General and other law officers before this court is highly contemptuous. It shows that the Advocate General and other law officers wanted constitution of Bench of their choice.”

“We observe that a sad incident took place in court, which had never ever happened in the history of the Lahore High Court,” the judges say in the order.

Many police officials, facing trial in the Model Town case, had filed the petitions challenging the legitimacy of the new JIT.