LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Tuesday summoned the federal secretary for interior and the director general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to explain the delay in action against the government officials involved in a strike against the judiciary.

On a previous hearing, the CJ had ordered the FIA to identify the officials involved in anti-judiciary strike and the propaganda on YouTube against judges besides taking action against them.

The FIA DG was ordered to personally appear before the court.

However, a director of the FIA told the court that the DG could not appear due to the wedding ceremony of his daughter and the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Chief Justice Khan expressed dismay over the absence of the officer.

“It seems the government institutions do not honour the courts,” he wondered and asked the director as to why no action had been taken against the officials involved in the strike.

Earlier, the director told the court that 49 officials had been identified as those participating in the strike and demonstration.

A law officer said a fresh call data record of the mobile number owned by PMS officer Azeem Shaukat Awan, who allegedly chanted anti-judiciary slogans at the protest, had been obtained. He said the officer had earlier provided the FIA with a wrong mobile number.

Chief Justice Khan pointed out the inefficiency of the FIA to take action against the officials involved in the protest against the judiciary. He also questioned the conduct of the provincial government for not taking the AC, who allegedly provoked the protest, to task.

The CJ summoned the secretary interior and the FIA DG along with a progress report on April 7.

Sahiwal’s former civil judge Muhammad Naeem had summoned the then AC Muhammad Haider in a case against encroachments in the city.

The officer failed to appear before the court despite several notices and the civil judge finally issued warrants for his arrest. The AC reportedly got into a heated argument with the judge when he made his appearance in the court. The judge ordered his staff to detain the AC and handcuff him before shifting him to jail.

However, some lawyers intervened and the AC tendered an apology before the court after which he was released. Later, the administrative and revenue staff in different parts of the province went on strike against the treatment meted out to the AC. They also held protests against the judiciary.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2021