Islamabad: The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court has expressed his indignation during the hearing of the case and remarked that first resigning and then turning away, is playing a joke with the people of Pakistan?
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Amir Farooq heard the petition against acceptance of resignation of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Member of Parliament Shakur Shaad. During the hearing, the Chief Justice expressed his anger at the petitioner’s lawyer and said that you resigned, did you sign it? On which the lawyer said that yes it was our signature but that resignation was given under party pressure.
The Chief Justice inquired whether the signature was done just like that. Is this a joke? What is happening, today you are doing this, tomorrow what will you do for the country? How will you fulfill Article 62? You are the trustee of your people and voters, what are you doing? There was an order on March 9 that you refused to resign, do you have that letter?
The lawyer replied that the resignation was accepted on July 29. This court suspended the judgment in September. The Chief Justice asked if your signature was not genuine, to which the lawyer said that the signature was genuine, but he had resigned on party policy. The Chief Justice remarked that going against the party policy on resignation does not matter. That makes a difference to the Mini Budget Bill and the no-confidence motion.
The Chief Justice said that you resigned due to party pressure, how can you take a stand for the country? First resign, then withdraw, Pakistan is playing a joke with the people? Are you joking with the system? You are considering the system as an art. The lawyer replied that we believe that the real stakeholders are the people. The Chief Justice remarked that the joke is being played on the people.
The Chief Justice said that we have yet to come on other similar writs as to what is happening in this country. The lawyer said that we asked the Speaker National Assembly to resign due to party pressure, but the Speaker said that he was not satisfied with the answer. The Chief Justice inquired whether the Speaker had issued any such letter? The Chief Justice directed that the letter dated March 3, 2023 should be brought on record.
The Chief Justice remarked that the party leadership pressured you to file a claim against him. Evidence cannot be taken in the writ. Everything we have made a joke, you have to legislate for the whole country. Should everyone be congratulated on this? You accept that you have done wrong.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer Akhtar Chheena and Additional Attorney General Manoor Iqbal Dogal also appeared in the court. The court adjourned the further hearing of the case till April 28 seeking the Speaker’s order to accept Shakur Shad’s resignation.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice remarked that such cases come to us and important cases are left behind. Murder appeals are pending and such cases come to waste the court’s time. The lawyer said that we have come to implement the order of this court which the Speaker has not accepted, to which the Chief Justice remarked that do not criticize anyone, first correct your conduct.
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