LHC summons Ahsan Iqbal on May 7 in contempt of court case

LAHORE: Lahore High Court on Wednesday summoned Minister for Interior and Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal to personally appear on May 7.

Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi was heading a three-member bench hearing a contempt of court petition against the federal minister.

Azhar Siddique, the counsel for the petitioner Amna Malik, told the court has federal minister Ahsan Iqbal used derogatory terms against Chief Justice of Pakistan while addressing a seminar in Islamabad on April 25. The comments are a clear violation and falls within contempt of court.

The petitioner further said that the LHC has issued notice to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to stop the broadcast of defamatory speeches critical of the judiciary.

ALSO READ: ‘CJP has no authority to chide us’: minister decries ‘abusive’ remarks

Depite the notice, Ahsan Iqbal gave an anti-judiciary speech degrading the honourable judge of the apex court. The petitioner pleaded to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Ahsan Iqbal.

Pemra representative told the court that strict action is being taken against violating orders to broadcast anti-judiciary speeches.

The court adjourned further proceedings till May 7, and summoned Ahsan Iqbal to personally appear on the next hearing. The court also summoned a detailed report over Pemra’S efforts to stop broadcast of anti-judiciary speeches.