LAHORE: Two PML-N parliamentarians and four others facing contempt proceedings for staging an anti-judiciary rally in Kasur orally tendered unconditional apology before a Lahore High Court full bench on Wednesday.

The bench, however, appointed a provincial law officer as prosecutor to indict them on next hearing.

MNA Waseem Akhtar, MPA Naeem Safdar, municipal chairman Ayaz Khan, vice-chairman Ahmad Latif, Nasir Khan and Jamil Khan appeared before the three-judge bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.

During the hearing, video clips of the protest rally were also played on an electronic projector.

The six people facing the proceedings stated before the bench that they felt regret for what they had done. They said they had great respect for the judiciary and they were among the participants in the movement for the restoration of the judiciary during Musharraf’s regime.

Justice Naqvi observed that the court was fully conversant with the so-called role of their party in the lawyers’ movement.

Lawyers from the petitioners’ side stated the offenders did not deserve any relaxation and the court should punish them to set an example.

The bench also dismissed an application for adjournment moved on behalf of Advocate Ali Ahmad Kurd, counsel for the parliamentarians. It observed that the lawyer did not mention any cogent reason in the application for his unavailability.

The bench appointed Additional Advocate General Shan Gull as prosecutor for the indictment of the accused persons in contempt of court proceedings.

The bench adjourned hearing till May 11.

Names of the accused had already been placed on the ECL on the court direction.

Kasur District Bar Association President Mirza Naseem and others had filed the petitions pleading that the protest rally taken out by the parliamentarians and local government leaders affiliated with the ruling PML-N was a planned conspiracy against the judiciary.

The petitioners said the act of the respondent MPs amounted to contempt of court and they were all liable to be punished under the law. They asked the court to declare the respondents disqualified.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2018