PMSOA offers unconditional apology to LHC

LAHORE: The PMS Officers Association (PMSOA) on Monday offered an unconditional apology to the Lahore High Court on behalf of the officers involved in anti-judiciary protests after a civil judge in Sahiwal got an assistant commissioner handcuffed for defying an order.

Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan put off the application of the association till April 13 and sought a written apology from the assistant commissioner. Sahiwal’s former civil judge Muhammad Naeem had summoned then assistant commissioner 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 to 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.

Later, a lawyer filed a petition before the LHC, seeking action against the government officials for holding protests against the judiciary. The chief justice had ordered the FIA to identify the officers involved in the protests and take action against them.