LHC seeks response on admissibility of plea over PM Shehbaz's 'black sheep' remarks
Pakistan
Petitioner seeks initiation of contempt proceedings against premier for calling judges 'black sheep'
LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Lahore High Court has sought a response from the federation regarding the admissibility of a petition seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his 'derogatory' remarks about judges.
Taking up the plea on Friday, LHC’s Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan asked Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Duggal to tell the court whether or not the petition brought against the premier was admissible.
At this, the additional attorney general said the Supreme Court had raised the same question yesterday [during Thursday's hearing on the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance 1999 amendment case].
“Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan had made it clear to the apex court that the prime minister’s remarks were not directed at the serving judges,” the state lawyer added.
At this, the court inquired of the AAG if he was in possession of a written order from the Supreme Court.
He said the written order had not yet been received from the apex court.
Subsequently, the court, while issuing a notice, sought a response from the federal government regarding the admissibility of the contempt petition against the prime minister.
PETITION
Ashba Kamran, a lawyer, had moved the petition on Thursday, seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his alleged use of inappropriate words regarding judges.
The petitioner had listed the federal government as a respondent through the principal secretary to the prime minister.
PM SHEHBAZ’S REMARKS
On May 28, PM Shehbaz had stated that some “black sheep” in the judiciary were bent upon giving relief to the incarcerated former premier, Imran Khan, in various cases.
“You are Pakistanis; you are judges. If development does not return to Pakistan, then there will be no judges, no politicians, and no one else. Do you want this? I believe that most of these judges are Pakistanis and think about Pakistan’s development, but some ‘black sheep’ are helping the PTI founder,” Shehbaz had said in his address during a general council meeting of the PML-N which had re-elected three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to be the president of the party.
APEX COURT JUDGES
Judges of the Supreme Court, during the hearing on the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance 1999 amendment case, took exception to criticism by the prime minister.
Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, one of the judges on the five-member bench, wondered what judges had done to agitate the permier so much that he made such remarks.
He questioned why the court’s judgements were appreciated if these were in someone’s favour and criticised if not.
Justice Athar Minallah remarked that judges were not ‘black sheep’ but ‘black bumblebees’.
Addressing AGP Mansoor Usman Awan, Justice Minallah said that the government should move a reference against ‘black sheep’ in the judiciary if there existed a perception to this effect. He also advised the AGP to communicate this to the prime minister.
