Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan says state departments cause serious threats to courts and their staff.
His remarks, an apparent reference to country’s powerful military establishment, appeared in a written order pertaining to a case about alleged threats to a judge of anti-terrorism court of Sargodha.
The ATC judge wrote a letter to the high court describing the harassment situation he faced from the intelligence agencies. Pakistan’s judiciary and military establishment caught in an unpleasant situation since couple of months following Islamabad High Court judges’ letter to the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan in March highlighting the alleged interference of the former in judicial matter. The chief justice of Pakistan took suo-motu on the matter and case is under trial.
CJ Ahmad had summoned Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar and other officials on the complaint of the ATC judge Muhammad Abbas.
LHC CJ has reserved the order on June 13 and announced it after Thursday’s hearing.
An English daily mentioned the written order of the CJ as: “It is unfortunate to note that it is duty of the state to provide protection and pay respect to the courts but perusal of the special reports sent by the learned judge ATC Sargodha and assistant of the said court shows that prima facie the state departments have been causing serious threats/harassment to the courts and its staff and creating hurdles in the court process.
Furthermore, the state departments have denied the constitutional rights of citizens of this country of having the protection of law and to be treated in accordance with the law while restraining them to approach the above-mentioned court.”
The CJ also mentioned the malafide and biased intention of the other police officials concern issuing them show-cause notices.
The CJ adjourned the case to June 27 for a hearing by Justice Shahid Karim as he himself alleviated on to the Supreme Court.
