Chaos if political narrative runs affairs: IHC CJ

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday extended the protective bail granted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shehbaz Gill in the Masjid-e-Nabvi case to May 9, 2022, and clubbed his petition with the other identical cases.

In response to Mr Gill’s claim of actively participating in the lawyers’ movement, Chief Justice Athar Minallah said the movement was not aimed at restoring judges but ensuring supremacy of the Constitution. He asked if we achieved the desired results of the movement.

“We welcome criticism but it would create anarchy if there is no respect for the Constitution and state institutions,” Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked. He remarked that if all things would run on a political narrative, it would end up in chaos.

The chief justice remarked that the political parties used to build a public opinion and political leaders had big role in it. At the outset of hearing, Shehbaz Gill said that all of the judgments of this court had been under Constitution and he always respected them. He said that he had never used PECA Ordinance against anybody. The court also granted exemption from hearing to Shehbaz Gill from appearance on next hearing and adjourned the case until May 9.

The CJ issued this order during the hearing of petitions submitted to the court earlier today on behalf of former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and adviser Shehbaz Gill. They had challenged the registration of cases against the PTI leaders, including the duo, PTI Chief Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid and others in the alleged defilement of Masjid-e-Nabawi by them.