WATCH: PTI lawyer interrupts judge, gets scolded
- By Web Desk -
- Dec 16, 2023
ISLAMABAD: A female Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer, Mashal Yousafzai, interrupted Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa while he was dictating the order to suspend the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict on appointment of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs), ARY News reported on Friday.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had suspended the ECP’s notification for the appointment of the ROs and DROs from the executive branch in response to a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Following the suspension, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja held a meeting with CJP Qazi Faez Isa and other senior officials to ensure that general elections occur on time.
Later, the election commission filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking the annulment of the LHC’s order. The SC accepted the plea and halted the LHC order that suspended the appointment of ROs and DROs from bureaucracy.
Read More: Supreme Court suspends LHC’s RO order; elections on Feb 8
While the order was being narrated, a female PTI lawyer made her way to the rostrum and interrupted CJP Justice Qazi Faez Isa by saying ‘My Lord’.
The interruption prompted ECP lawyer Sajeel Swati and Attorney General Mansoor Awan to look around in surprise.
However, the chief justice cut her off immediately.
“Please sit down. Who are you? We are dictating an order,” CJP Isa said. “Seems to be no respect for anyone anymore,” Justice Isa curtly observed.
He also warned the PTI lawyer, Mashal Yousufzai, of contempt if next time she did this.
Although, the woman was off screen, Justice Isa asked her if she was a lawyer and where she had studied. He then told her to go sit at the back of the courtroom. “I don’t know what’s happening, what sort of education is being imparted,” he said.
In response to CJP’s query, the attorney general said that the young woman was not an advocate and should not have addressed the court. The ECP lawyer hurriedly added that she was not with him.