LAHORE: An upheaval caused on the Lahore High Court premises by an unscheduled and ‘not required by the court’ appearance of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Wednesday earned anger of the Chief Justice.

Mr Khan had come to the court of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to attend proceedings on a petition filed by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq against an order of the Election Commission about inspection of ballots in NA-122, Lahore.

However, his personal appearance was not required in the case.

The PTI chief had obtained the impugned order from the ECP after losing last year’s election from the constituency to Mr Sadiq.

A large number of PTI workers were present in the LHC before the arrival of their leader. The workers followed Mr Khan to the courtroom of the chief justice. Security personnel closed the door of the courtroom from inside after the entrance of Mr Khan, leaving hundreds of his supporters outside. As the charged workers tried to enter the courtroom, its door was damaged and windowpanes were broken.

Justice Bandial took note of the situation and left the courtroom, asking Advocate Ahmad Awais, counsel for Mr Khan, to meet him in his chamber.

In the chamber, the counsel expressed his regrets over the incident.

The chief justice asked him to advise his client to leave the courtroom in order to disperse the crowd.

Mr Khan and his supporters left the premises and the chief justice resumed the hearing after a two-hour break.

On his departure, the PTI chief was intercepted by media persons but he refused to answer their questions.

Taking strong notice of the disturbance, Justice Bandial said the canons of conduct for attending courts of law required display of respect, patience and tolerance by everyone. He said precautions must be taken by persons with political following, who had an added duty to control irresponsible behaviour by their supporters.

Justice Bandial said the court was showing restraint and did not intend to issue a contempt notice.

He said the president of Pakistan had been represented before this court in a dignified manner and he also obeyed its order.

Barrister Maqsooma Bukhari, counsel for Mr Sadiq, objected to the ‘uncalled for’ arrival of Mr Khan.

The chief justice said the doors of the courts were open to all, but personalities having a following should contain their movement.

“The brash conduct by fervent supporters in the present case should have been anticipated and prevented,” he said, instructing Mr Khan’s counsel to submit a written explanation on behalf of his client, stating his position about the incident. The chief justice adjourned the hearing till May 12 and said the court would see the explanation and then decide the fate of the main case.

Addressing a press conference at his Zaman Park residence later, Mr Khan accused a media group of having launched a malicious campaign against him. He also alleged that the media house was equally involved in rigging in the elections.

He expressed his belief in independence of the judiciary and vowed to resist any attack on the institution, but said that former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and the Election Commission had disappointed him.