Hearing of the accountability reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar and aides turned into a heated argument on Tuesday when Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) President Javed Akbar Shah aggressively objected to the scheduled framing of charges.
Representing the co-accused Mansoor Raza Rizvi — one of the two directors of Dar's company Hajveri Modaraba — Shah argued that his client could not be charged today since he wanted more time to prepare for the case.
The accountability judge, Mohammad Bashir, rejected Shah's argument, saying that a lot of time has already been wasted in the case and a further delay could not be allowed.
This irked the lawyer, who said: "Why can it [adjournment] not happen? Tell us why it is important to frame the charges today?"
On this, Judge Bashir asked Shah to remain calm and said that he would be informed of the reasons in writing.
But Shah was not convinced and remained adamant that the judge was bound to inform him of the reason. "What will you do? You will hit me with a bullet?" the lawyer pressed the judge.
Judge Bashir repeated that the counsel would be informed of the reason in writing. He then asked who the lawyer was representing in the case.
At this, Shah threw his power of attorney at the judge's table and said he was representing Rizvi.
"You are acting in contempt [of court]," the judge shot back, asking the lawyer to remain calm while talking.
"You will send me to the jail, [feel free to] send me," the IHCBA office-bearer said, before taking his client out of the courtroom with him.
Shah and Rizvi did not return even after being called thrice by the court. After a brief interval, they eventually returned and the court issued non-bailable warrants for Rizvi.
The hearing was adjourned until April 5.
Rizvi later submitted an application requesting the court to recall the warrants.
The name of Rizvi — along with those of another director of Hajveri Modaraba, Naeem Mehmmood, and National Bank of Pakistan President Saeed Ahmed — was included in a supplementary reference in the ongoing proceedings against Dar by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The bureau had initiated action against Dar upon orders of the Supreme Court in Panamagate case which disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office.
Dar is currently in London, undergoing medical treatment, and has already been declared an absconder.
