The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal to appear before the court on May 07 and explain his position about an 'anti-judiciary' speech responding to remarks of Chief Justice Pakistan about his involvement in appointment of a vice chancellor. The court was seized with petitions against anti-judiciary speeches of Nawaz Sharif and others observed "the language used by the interior minister was threatening in nature".
The court also directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to submit its report regarding decisions on the pending complaints against anti-judiciary speeches in the light of court's direction on April 16 in the spirit of articles 19 and 68 of the constitution.
Petitioners' counsel Azhar Siddique stated before the bench that the Pemra failed to comply with the court order in its letter and spirit as it failed to stop airing of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal's anti-judiciary speech on television channels. When asked about the action taken by the Pemra to this effect, its acting chairman said show cause notices had been issued to the television channels besides imposition of fine for airing anti-judiciary remarks and contents. Advocate Siddique argued that the spirit of the court's order was to stop anti-judiciary speeches not to impose fines only.
The court when asked the Pemra's officer whether the speech made by Ahsan Iqbal was not beyond the parameter set by the court, he said notices had also been issued to the channels in this case. The court also asked the petitioners' counsel to place on record the relevant material about the violation of the court order by any of the respondents.
The court hearing another petition, directed Sheikhupura regional police officer to produce all the suspects including PML-N's MNA Wasim Akhtar, MPA Safdar Ansari and four others involved in holding a protest rally against the judiciary in Kasur.
Ahsan Bhoon representing the petition moved by the President District Bar Association Kasur argued that the protest rally by the PML-N local leaders was the worst kind of contempt of court. The lawyer responding to a court query said the sections of the law inserted in the case were not sufficient to deal the grave offence committed by the respondents.