Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar appeared before a Lahore High Court (LHC) bench on Thursday in contempt of court case against Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais.
A three-member bench had served a notice to the chief minister over Punjab AG’s conduct during an announcement of a verdict regarding the formation of a new joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the Model Town incident.
“Have you been informed why did the court summon you,” Justice Qasim Khan asked the CM. “I have called the AGP and he has offered to tender his resignation,” the chief minister told the bench.
According to media reports, the prime minister has appointed Ahmad Jamal Sukhera as the AGP after Awais’s resignation.
Advocate Hamid Khan earlier told the court that the judges ignore if someone has a naturally loud voice. But if someone starts cursing? Justice Qasim Khan retorted.
“In that case contempt proceedings to be initiated,” the senior lawyer replied. One should not ignore the honour and respect of the court, he further said. The court reserved the verdict which will be announced on April 19.
The court had issued a show cause notice to the Advocate General Punjab over his contemptuous attitude and asked him to submit a written reply that why a contempt of court proceeding should not be initiated against him.
The law officers didn’t act in this manner in the history of the high court, the bench said.
The advocate general and the law officers tried to pressurise the bench, they wanted case proceedings at a bench of their choice, the court remarked. The advocate general even talked about the boycott of the court proceeding, the verdict said.
