Don?t let judicial system collapse, says LHC CJ
 

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Monday issued **n-bailable arrest warrants for the Lahore High Court Bar Association (Multan bench) President Sher Zaman Qureshi as he failed to appear before the court.

However, the chief justice later issued restraining orders on an assurance that he would appear in person tomorrow (Wednesday) in the matter concerning misbehaviour with a judge. He issued these orders when the Multan police produced a report that Sher Zaman had repeatedly refused to accept the court orders.

Sher Zaman, along with a lawyer, misbehaved with Justice Qasim Khan on July 24 when he was holding proceedings of a case related to a mosque located on the route of a government project in the Vehari Chowk. The judge had reportedly asked the two lawyers to sit on benches while their colleague was arguing but they refused to do so. The judge had to leave the courtroom after an argument with them.

A five-member bench, headed by the chief justice, on Monday started proceedings against the delinquent lawyers under the law of contempt and High Court Rules and Orders for suspension or removal of the said advocates from the practice. Justice Muhammad Anwaar-ul-Haq, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali, Justice Ameer Bhatti and Justice Shams Mirza are the other members of the bench.

LHCBA President Zulfikar Chaudhry, Vice-President Rashid Lodhi, Advocate General Shakil-ur-Rehman, law ******rs and lawyers from Multan appeared before the court. As the bench started hearing, the chief justice expressed severe anger over the absence of Sher Zaman and after briefly hearing the lawyers from Multan and Lahore issued **n-bailable arrest warrants of Sher Zaman and ordered the Multan DPO to produce him before the court immediately. However, he issued restraining orders for the time being after getting personal guarantees from senior lawyers of Multan and Lahore that Sher Zaman will appear before the bench on Wednesday. He then issued bailable arrest warrants for him to appear.

The chief justice warned that if Sher Zaman did **t appear on Wednesday, the law would take its own course. “As a chief justice of the Lahore High Court, it is my responsibility to ensure sanctity of judges and the court and I will do so.”

The perturbed chief justice on the occasion remarked: “When lawyers will **t obey the court orders, who else will respect the courts and the law? If lawyers continue to do so, the judicial system will collapse which is neither beneficial to judges **r lawyers. We respect the professional lawyers but ** one is above the law. Please respect court for the sake of your children.”

Referring to the unruly behaviour of Multan LHCBA president, he said, “At the time when we are conducting hearing, he (Sher Zaman) is there to close down courts. About 150 to 200 urgent cases are daily heard at the Multan bench. Who is responsible for sufferings of litigants there?”

The chief justice asked the lawyers present in the courtroom to condemn the incident before media. However, the lawyers said they condemned the incident but would **t do so before media.

The chief justice observed: “It has never happened in the history of the judiciary that effigies of sitting judges are being burnt. The nameplates of judges are being broken. The protest of lawyers is continuing. In which direction are we heading?”

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