Plea against Ahsan rejected

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday rejected a fresh contempt of court plea against former interior minister and PML-N senior leader Ahsan Iqbal.

Contempt of court plea against Ahsan Iqbal came up before LHC Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi’s bench for hearing. At the outset of the hearing, Justice Naqvi angrily asked the petitioner’s lawyer “what had happened now”.

To it, advocate Azhar Siddique said Ahsan Iqbal had uttered objectionable words against former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar that he spent billions of rupees on publicity campaign of dams and the same amount should be recovered from him. He pointed out that decision for construction of the dam was rendered by a five-member bench of Supreme Court and Ahsan Iqbal’s act was tantamount to contempt of court. The court did not come under the sway with his arguments and remarked: “Ahsan Iqbal is a worker of a political party and what will he do if he does not do politics.” Justice Naqvi observed that what progress had been made on dams. Have the dams been constructed?

Without name Mian Nisar, Justice Naqvi said: “Learned judge sahib’ had gone abroad for fundraising and three MNAs of the PTI are also along with him. Now if something (fishy) happens, people will definitely talk about it.” There is no question of contempt of court in it, the court further remarked.

“I have heard that during fundraising abroad, someone had put a shoe in front of him, Justice Naqvi added. The court pointed out that Ahsan had already tendered apology in the court and undertook to abstain from repeating it. The court rejected the contempt of court petition against Ahsan Iqbal.