ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday called upon religious scholars to seek guidance in the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat case.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, who commenced the hearing of the case, called upon religious scholars to seek their guidance in the case. Dr Hassan Madni, Mohsin Naqvi, Sajidur Rehman and Mufti Hussain Binori have been summoned to the court on Monday. The petitioner’s lawyer will present his arguments on Thursday.
During the hearing, Justice Siddiqui inquired about the petitioner’s whereabouts after he failed to appear before the court. The petitioner’s lawyer requested the judge to give his client one more day and that he will be present at the court tomorrow.
The IHC has set the next hearing of the Khatm-e-Nabuwat case on Thursday at 11:30 am.
At the last hearing on Tuesday, the federal government submitted to the court the report of the committee probing changes in the Finality of Prophethood (PBUH) oath in the Constitution, after the court gave the government “a last chance” to do so earlier in the day.
The Zafarul Haq-led committee was formed to probe the issue of the amendment in the oath regarding the Finality of Prophethood (PBUH) when the Elections Act 2017 was passed last year.
During the hearing, the IHC warned that it will issue contempt of court notices to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and three federal ministers if the report is not presented in court until 1pm.
“Let the heaven fall, there is nothing important than this issue,” said Justice Siddiqui.
Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Arshad Mehmood Kayani who was representing the federal government submitted the report in a sealed envelope. Justice Siddiqui said that report shall remain sealed till court order, directing the petitioner to present arguments on a daily basis from February 21.
At an earlier hearing, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui while hearing the case expressed annoyance over the concerned quarters for not providing the report.
Earlier, IHC declared the agreement between the government and Faizabad protesters unconstitutional and illegal, saying that the protesters committed blasphemy and the state surrendered before them.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, while hearing the case petitioned by ordinary citizens and the religious group, observed that the agreement doesn’t have any legal standing.
On November 6, workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and activists of other religious groups camped at the Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad against the hastily-abandoned change in the oath of elected representatives, virtually paralysing the twin cities for more than two weeks.
Police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel had launched an operation against the protesters after the high court had ordered the clearance of the bridge that connects the federal capital with Rawalpindi. The same day, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa had advised Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to “handle the Islamabad dharna peacefully”.
