LAHORE: Lahore High Court Bar Multan Bench President Sher Zaman Qureshi on Wednesday submitted an apology note in the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan in a case related to misconduct with a judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had formed a five-member larger bench to look into the matter after violent clashes took place between lawyers and police in the LHC premises some days ago.
Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed the bench, remarked that the case was not a matter of victory or defeat for anybody. Furthermore, he summoned a report on the incident from the LHC Registrar.
The apex court on Wednesday conducted a hearing in the appeal against the issuance of arrest warrants of Sher Zaman Qureshi by the LHC.
Hearing the appeal, Justice Nisar asked why Zaman had failed to appear before the LHC and asked if it would not have been better for the honour of institutions if he had. He said that if a prime minister can appear before the court why can’t Zaman?
Qureshi’s lawyer, however, maintained that his client had not misbehaved with the judge nor was he involved in any brawl.
On August 21, LHC Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had ordered police to arrest and produce Qureshi before the court the following day in a contempt of court case against him and another lawyer, Qaiser Abbas Kazmi.
The clash had erupted after Qureshi, along with other members of the association, had gone to attend a court hearing regarding the case of the rebuilding of a demolished structure near Vehari Chowk.
During the court proceedings, Zaman’s alleged comments led Justice Qasim to ask him to leave the courtroom, subsequently agitating the latter.
During the previous hearing, the LHC had also ordered the suspension of licences of Qureshi and Kazmi. The LHC chief justice observed that the sanctity of the court is supreme and no compromises shall be made on it.
The court termed Qureshi’s conduct “most unbecoming and demeaning, that blatantly offends the prestige and honour of this court”.
The court also stated that Qureshi is blatantly defying the orders of the court [to appear before it].
Following the order, enraged lawyers loyal to Qureshi tried to storm the courtroom, breaking the gate of a corridor and chanting slogans against the chief justice inside the LHC building.
Authorities used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesting lawyers while members of the legal fraternity pelted stones at the LHC building and police personnel protecting it.
Sources added that protesting lawyers, around 200 in number, included bar members from Multan, Burewala and other areas.