- Says will not allow judges to be insulted
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday barred ‘habitual petitioner’ Shahid Orakzai from entering the apex court premises.
A former journalist, Orakzai, had appeared in the SC to file a petition against the appointment of former Lahore High Court (LHC) Judge Mansoor Ali Shah to the SC, but was unable to move Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, who told him to get off the rostrum.
The CJP said, “You are a habitual petitioner who insults judges.” “We will not allow judges to be insulted.”
Reprimanding Orakzai for appearing in court with “false petitions”, Justice Nisar remarked that he “brought in a new case every day”.
In response to a query by Orakzai, Justice Nisar said that he was banned from all SC registries. “In which country?” Orakzai inquired. “In Pakistan, and if you don’t get off that rostrum now, I will take a more extreme measure,” the CJP warned, visibly angry.
As chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Nisar has the authority to bar a person from entering court premises.
Orakzai has a reputation of filing ‘controversial’ petitions. In 2014, the Islamabad High Court had fined him for “wasting the court’s time”.
In the same year, Peshawar High Court Justice Yahya Afridi had sent the former journalist for 24 hours in prison for scandalising the court after he accused then high court judge Mazhar Alam Miankhel and former premier Nawaz Sharif of contempt of court.
The allegations were proven to be false, however, when Orakzai refused to withdraw the petition, the court had sentenced him to jail.
