LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Chief Justice on Tuesday summoned assistant commissioner Sahiwal Haider to explain as how the public servants went on strike to express solidarity with him against his detention in handcuff by a civil judge.
The Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan held that order of every judge from magistrate up to high court is the order of the judiciary which should be implemented by executive on all cost and its disobedience would not be tolerated.
The Chief Justice directed the registrar of the august court to submit a comprehensive report on the incident and made it clear that the matter would be probed thoroughly and the guilty person either AC or judge would be treated as per law.
Referring to AC's statement that he could seal courts, Chief Justice remarked that no one would dare to lock courts as long as he was CJ. To a court's query, the provincial law officer explained that none of public officer had given the strike call.
Chief justice noted the statement of Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan and asked her to submit an affidavit explaining that her statement was meant for media and executive and not for judiciary.
Firdous Ashiq Awan however deplored the incident and said an inquiry into the matter should be conducted. A few days ago, a civil judge Muhammad Naeem had summoned the AC who was also administrator of Municipal Committee Sahiwal in a case regarding encroachments in the city.
On his repeated absence, the judge had issued arrest warrants for Haider and the station house officer concerned. However, AC Haider appeared in court and told the judge that he could not comply with the orders due to other official engagements upon which the judge expressed displeasure and termed the AC's conduct inappropriate.
Both the AC and judge got into an argument and the judge ordered his staff to detain the AC and handcuff him before shifting him to jail. However, leaders of the local legal fraternity intervened and on their insistence the AC tendered a written apology to the court after which he was released. Haider was also directed to comply with the court orders before the next hearing.
Later administrative and revenue staff in various parts of the province observed a strike to express solidarity with the AC. Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik took up the matter with the Chief Justice and conveyed the demands of his staff. Consequently, the Chief Justice sought a report on the incident from the district and sessions judge Sargodha.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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