LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal to appear in court on May 7 over alleged contemptuous remarks.
Hearing a petition filed by a citizen Amna Malik, a three-member bench headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi issued a notice to Iqbal and ordered him to appear before the bench on May 7.
The petitioner in its plea had stated that the minister used derogatory language against the honourable judiciary in one of his speeches.
“Despite the court orders, Ahsan Iqbal’s anti-judiciary speech was broadcast on television channels,” argued the petitioner.
Addressing an event in Islamabad on April 25, the minister had said that “Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar should abandon the practice of throwing insults in every direction and have a big heart instead of reacting at every petty incident”, adding that since the CJP had accused him of being involved in certain appointments, he should also issue a charge sheet against Iqbal.
“The CJP has no right to mock and insult us. Enough is enough,” Iqbal had said.
The Supreme Court had initiated several contempt proceedings against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders over their statements against the judiciary after the top court had disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding the PM Office in Panama Papers case and ordered National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to start corruption proceedings against the Sharif family.