LAHORE: The Lahore High Court issued on Wed­nesday fresh bailable arrest warrants for Yasmeen Abbasi, Federal Ombudsper­son for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace, for not appearing before it in a contempt of court petition.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah ordered the Islamabad SSP to ensure her appearance in the court at the next hearing. The judge also issued a show-cause notice of contempt to the ombudsperson under Section 17 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003.

Deputy Attorney General Nasar Ahmad informed the judge that the registrar of the ombudsperson office had said the high court could not summon her.

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Justice Mansoor Shah expressed displeasure over the language of a letter issued by the consultant/registrar of the ombudsperson secretariat regarding the court’s direction.

He observed that the language of the letter was contumacious and contemptuous.

The judge also issued a show-cause notice to retired Lt Col Khamis Khan Panni, the consultant/registrar of the ombudsperson secretariat.

The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that the ombudsperson had filed a reference to the president against the incumbent judge (Justice Mansoor Shah) instead of complying with the court order.

Pakistan Bar Council Vice-Chairman Azam Nazir Tarar and Lahore High Court Bar Association President Pir Masood Chishti, who were present in court, condemned the act of the ombudsperson and said the bar would not allow any government servant to humiliate the judiciary.

They said the constitutional power of judicial review by the high court was not subject to sub-constitutional legislation and, therefore, non-appearance of the ombudsperson before the court was unconstitutional.

The court adjourned hearing to Jan 14.

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

The petitioner’s counsel said that a woman associate of his client had filed a harassment complaint before the ombudsperson, but the high court had stayed the proceedings on it.

He informed the court that the ombudsperson had ignored the stay order and continued proceedings on the complaint. The counsel sought action against the ombudsperson under the contempt of court law because the respondent had ignored court’s notices and was avoiding her appearance before it.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2015