Civil servants should submit social media accounts details

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Wednesday took exception to use of social media by the civil servants and hinted at passing an appropriate order in this regard.

The chief justice observed that the civil servants should submit details of their cellular numbers and social media accounts to the relevant departments. He remarked that the departments should decide a code for the civil servants to use social media.

CJ Khan was hearing a petition against holding of protest/strike by the public functionaries and running a campaign against the judiciary on social media in the wake of the arrest of an assistant commissioner ordered by a civil judge in Sahiwal.

PMS Officers Association had apologised unconditionally to the court on behalf of the officers involved in the anti-judiciary protests and objectionable posts on social media. On Wednesday, the association’s president, Naveed Shahzad Mirza, appeared before the court and tendered the apology. He assured the court that no such negligence would take place in future.

Chief Justice Khan admitted the unconditional apology of the association and withdrew the contempt proceedings initiated against the officials. Sahiwal’s Former Civil Judge Muhammad Naeem had last year summoned the 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 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 after that incident.