Ask Imran Khan if he trusts court or not, IHC CJ to Sheikh Rashid

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the appointment of Hanif Abbasi as his special assistant.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid against the appointment of Hanif Abbasi as SAPM. Abbasi had announced a Rs50,000 reward to anyone who brought him Rashid’s wig. The former interior minister appeared before the court on Monday.

The IHC CJ summoned Rashid to the rostrum and regretted accusations had been made against courts at public gatherings. "Do you and your ally PTI have confidence in the Islamabad High Court?” the CJ asked. "Maybe the PTI does not trust the court. Political statements are made at rallies questioning why courts opened at night. It is said that the courts open at the behest of someone," he said.

"If Imran Khan does not trust the IHC, I apologise as CJ and will send the case to another court," CJ Minallah observed, adding that there were other courts and judges who could hear his cases as it was important to have trust in the court.

He said important and big cases had been pending in the high court, like the cases of missing persons and Baloch students. "Sheikh sahib, these courts are for everyone," he said, to which Rashid replied, "Right Sir". Rashid said he had approached the court because he trusted it, to which Justice Minallah said that the court would hear his petition if he had faith in it.

The IHC CJ again referred to statements made at political rallies, pointing out that it was said at rallies that the courts were not independent. "Your lawyers must have told you that there are rules and the chief justice can take up a case anytime," he told Rashid.

Later, the court issued notices to the federation through the cabinet division secretary and Hanif Abbasi on the plea against his appointment as SAPM. The hearing was adjourned until May 17.