LAHORE: “You look tense, indeed you are in tension,” Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan said this to Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar in an interesting dialogue he had on Saturday after a fine of Rs10,000 imposed on him by the court a day earlier for not appearing in a case pertaining to infant formula.

Before starting the dialogue, PPP’s outgoing Senator Mr Ahsan read news items from three English newspapers about the coverage of the last day’s proceedings and complained to the three-judge bench that the order of imposing the fine on him badly damaged his reputation.

He said he had never been slapped even a single rupee fine during his whole law career.

The bench also comprised Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

“Who told you that I am in tension,” Chief Justice Nisar asked Mr Ahsan. “It is visible,” he retorted.

Justice Bandial told Mr Ahsan that the conduct of his associate compelled the court to impose the fine. “There would be no relaxation if someone shows arrogance or tries to take leverage of being associated with the chamber of Aitzaz Ahsan,” the chief justice added.

“I have been punished for a speech I made on the floor of the house,” Mr Ahsan said and urged the court to withdraw the fine.

The chief justice showed no annoyance to the remarks of Mr Ahsan, rather took his protest in a lighter mode.

However, Mr Ahsan remained serious and kept insisting that he would not pay the fine.

“I can pay the fine from my own pocket on your behalf or can also request Baji Bushra (wife of Mr Ahsan) to pay it,” the chief justice said.

Reiterating his grievance, Mr Ahsan once again said to the chief justice, “Somebody is giving you tension.”

Chief Justice Nisar responded with a smiling face and used a local jargon—tension lenay ka nahi….. (there is no need to worry).

Meanwhile, the bench adjourned the hearing of the case for two weeks with a direction to lawyers of the parties involved in it to come with a solution as to how wrong impression about infant formula in the public could be dispelled.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2018