Kh Asif’s plea for production order: IHC CJ says court can’t interfere in political matters

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court directed PML-N’s senior leader and MNA Kh Asif to solve the matter in parliament first, if not done then he could approach the court.

Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard Kh Asif’s plea Wednesday regarding issuance of his production orders. During the hearing, Justice Athar Minallah remarked that there would be respect for institutions if the courts do not interfere in such cases. Justice Athar Minallah asked do politicians come to court if there is democracy in the country. “This is a political matter and it should be settled in the parliament. The court cannot interfere”.

Barrister Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner chairman Public Accounts Committee Rana Tanveer Hussain, saying that he had written to issue production orders to Kh Asif on February 1 but it has not been issued yet.

Justice Athar Minallah remarked that, in a democracy, it is not common for cases of a political nature to come to the courts. “We have written in our decisions that this court does not interfere in such political matters,” he maintained, adding “You (Kh Asif) present a copy of our decision to the National Assembly speaker”.

He said the IHC cannot issue directions to the NA speaker and it is the job of the leadership to honour the body of such a large standing committee. “Respect for the National Assembly will come only when the courts do not interfere in any matter relating to them,” the IHC chief justice said while asserting that if the institution had been respected, this would not be the case today. He said the court is not issuing any order at this stage. Meanwhile, Ranjha said being the speaker it is Asad Qaiser’s prerogative to issue the production orders. The court directed that the petition is pending and no notice has been issued yet.

Ranjha said the speaker has issued the production orders but the National Assembly secretary is not implementing them. The chief justice asked how come secretary cannot implement the orders of the speaker. The court also directed the chairman public accounts committee to resolve the matter in parliament and adjourned the hearing till February 24.