LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Yasmeen Abbasi and directed the Islamabad police chief to ensure the compliance.

As the court resumed hearing of a contempt case against the ombudsperson, Supreme Court Bar Association president Barrister Syed Ali Zafar being amicus curie told the court that Ms Abbasi went abroad without permission from the government.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had not issued a mandatory NOC (no objection certificate) to the ombudsperson in view of the instant proceedings against her. However, he said, Ms Abbasi left for abroad without permission.

Barrister Zafar stated that the conduct of the ombudsperson was highly offensive and unacceptable.

Deputy Attorney General Nasar Mirza also approved the view of the SCBA’s president and confirmed that the ombudsperson proceeded to abroad without NOC, a mandatory provision for government servants to visit abroad.

At this juncture, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed that the court had been showing a maximum restraint in the case and the federal ombudsperson was given a number of opportunities to present her view but she failed to avail herself of any opportunity.

Justice Shah said the court would not allow any government officer to mock its orders.

“Defiance of judicial orders by a government functionary is amounted to destroying the whole justice system,” the judge held.

Justice Shah issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of federal ombudsperson Yasmeen Abbasi and ordered the Islamabad Inspector General of Police to produce her on March 3.

On the previous hearing, the judge had suspended bailable arrest warrants of the ombudsperson at the request of the SCBA’s president and gave her another chance to appear before the court.

However, the court now issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the delinquent officer.

A consultant of the ombudsperson secretariat had once appeared before the court and conveyed the response of the incumbent that the office of the federal ombudsperson did not fall within the jurisdiction of the high court.

The court had rejected the argument and initiated contempt proceedings against the ombudsperson.

Advocate Saleem Javed had filed the contempt petition seeking action against the ombudsperson for violating a stay order issued by the high court.

The counsel for the petitioner-lawyer stated that a woman associate of his client had filed a complaint before the ombudsperson on charges of harassment.

However, he said, the high court had stayed the proceedings on the complaint before the ombudsperson. He told the court that the ombudsperson ignored the stay order and continued proceedings on the complaint.

The counsel sought action against the ombudsperson under contempt of court law.

He pointed out that the respondent also ignored court’s notices and had been avoiding her appearance.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016