LAHORE: A Lahore High Court larger bench on Tuesday issued a contempt notice to a woman teacher of the Punjab University and also got her arrested for interfering in the proceedings and committing misconduct in the courtroom.

Ms Khujista Rehan, an assistant professor, had been in a litigation with her fellow teachers at the university accusing them of running a vilification campaign against her in a Whatsapp group.

On her application, the cyber crime cell of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also initiated action against the respondent teachers including Dr Nayab Batool.

Ms Batool secured a stay order by the high court against the proceedings of the FIA.

Advocate Saqi, the counsel for Ms Batool, was advancing his arguments before the five-judge larger bench when Ms Rehan entered the courtroom and took over the rostrum. She complained that the court did not hear her before granting stay to Batool.

The bench advised Ms Rehan against interrupting the court’s proceedings and assured her of giving ample opportunity of hearing.

However, the lady kept narrating her ‘grievance’ loudly and also accused one of the members of the bench of using filthy language against her.

The bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi summoned women police officials to arrest Ms Rehan when she ignored all warnings and continued to violate the court’s decorum.

The women personnel took the lady teacher out of the courtroom and initially shifted her to a high court security room. Later, she was released on the order of the bench.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2019