SC accepts lawyer’s apology over his ‘disparaging’ remarks against judges

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has released an official written order concerning the recent hearing into the the Abdul Razeq murder case involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman.

At the previous hearing on Wednesday, advocate Amanullah Kanrani, who is representing the son of the slain lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar, raised objections regarding the composition of the bench hearing the case.

According to the written order, the proceedings of August 9 saw the complainant’s lawyer expressing initial reservations about the composition of the bench.

However, following a the bench sought clarifications, the lawyer retracted his objections and tendered an unconditional apology.

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After careful deliberation, the bench duly accepted the offered unconditional apology, the order said.

SC written order can be read here

The order also said that due to the ongoing summer break, the bench may not have been readily available for further hearings.

The subsequent hearing for the case is now slated for August 24.

The SC bench is hearing the case pertaining to the killing of lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta.

On Wednesday, a tense exchange occurred while the apex court bench, headed by Justice Yahya Afridi and consisting of Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, was taking up the PTI chairman’s plea, challenging a first information report (FIR) in connection with the murder of a lawyer Shar.

During the previous day hearing, Justice Naqvi inquired if Kanrani had reviewed the FIR pertinent to the case. Kanrani said he has read the FIR and additionally cited a judge’s order in a separate case involving the delay in Punjab Assembly elections.

Amid his exchange with the judges, Kanrani accused Justice Rizvi of having a pending case for being a junior judge in the Sindh High Court (SHC). In response, Justice Rizvi admonished Kanrani for impugning the judges’ character and demanded evidence to substantiate the claims.

Justice Naqvi had warned Kanrani of potential contempt charges if the allegations were not retracted.

Kanrani eventually tendered a written apology over his behaviour and the bench issued the order.