Strike against judiciary: LHC summons federal secretary, DG FIA

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Tuesday summoned the federal secretary for interior and the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to explain the delay in action against government officials involved in a strike against the judiciary.

On a previous hearing, the chief justice had ordered the FIA to identify and take action against the officials involved in an anti-judiciary strike and propaganda on YouTube. The agency’s DG was also ordered to personally appear before the court.

However, a director of the FIA told the court that the DG could not appear due to the wedding ceremony of his daughter and SOPs of COVID-19. Chief Justice Khan expressed dismay over the absence of the officer. “It seems the government institutions do not honour the courts,” he wondered and also asked the director as to why no action had been taken against the officials involved in the strike.

Earlier, the director told the court that 49 have been identified out of the government officials participating in the strike and demonstration. A law officer said a fresh call data record of the mobile number owned by PMS Officer Azeem Shaukat Awan, who allegedly chanted anti-judiciary slogans at the protest, has been obtained. He said the officer had earlier given the FIA a wrong mobile number.

Chief Justice Khan regretted the inefficiency of the FIA to take action against the officials found involved in the protest against the judiciary. He questioned the conduct of the provincial government for not taking the assistant commissioner, who allegedly provoked the protest, to task. The chief justice summoned the secretary interior and the FIA DG along with a progress report on April 7.

Sahiwal’s former civil judge Muhammad Naeem had summoned then AC Muhammad Haider in a case against encroachments in the city. The officer failed to appear before the court despite several notices and the civil judge finally issued warrants for his arrest. The AC, reportedly, got into a heated argument with the judge when he made his appearance in the court. The judge ordered his staff to detain the AC and handcuff him before shifting him to jail.

However, some lawyers intervened in the matter and the AC tendered an apology before the court after which he was released. Later, the administrative and revenue staff in different parts of the province went on strike against the treatment meted out to the AC. They also held protests against the judiciary.