ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed a petition seeking to halt the issuance of a diplomatic passport to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.
The IHC stated that the petition was frivolous and was based on unreliable material. In disposing of the petition, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah imposed an Rs5,000 fine on the petitioner for engaging counsel at the expense of the state.
Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha filed a petition in the IHC on Thursday, citing media reports that Nawaz was being issued a diplomatic passport on the instructions of newly elected Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He claimed that the interior and foreign affairs secretaries were given the instructions for the issuance of the diplomatic passport.
The petitioner contended that because Nawaz is a court absconder who was convicted of corruption by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), issuing a diplomatic passport to a convict is a violation of law, a mockery of the justice system, and a disgrace to the nation.
During Monday’s hearing, Justice Minallah inquired of the petitioner’s counsel which federal government order he was contesting. The court cannot pronounce a verdict in the heat of the moment, the CJ added.
“Where was the order issued and who issued the order you are contesting?” “Why should the court deny your application without imposing a penalty?” the CJ inquired. Justice Minallah added that there were laws governing the treatment of absconders and that the law must take its natural course.
“There are numerous other concerns. Why did you bring this issue to the court unnecessarily,” the CJ inquired. The petitioner’s attorney contended that the news was making the rounds in the media. “We also consider the court’s dignity,” the council stated.
“Given enough time, we will attempt to obtain the order from the government,” the counsel added. The court noted in its Monday order that the petitioner had failed to produce any order, direction, or notification issued by the federal government substantiating his claim.
It is noted that press reports lack evidentiary value and cannot be relied upon when a person asserts a legal right based on them. The IHC chief justice noted that it is established law that courts do not decide cases based on press reports.
