AJK High Court disqualifies PM Sardar Tanvir Ilyas in contempt of court case

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court disqualifies Prime Minister Sardar Tanvir Ilyas in a contempt of court case on Tuesday!

In a major setback to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the decision of the high court comes after Sardar Tanvir Ilyas was summoned to AJK’s supreme court and high court for using a “threatening tone” in one of his speeches. 

The court also de-seated Sardar Tanvir Ilyas from the Legislative Assembly, declaring him ineligible for any public office.

A full bench, led by Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja, conducted the hearing of the case.

During the hearing, the clips featuring the prime minister were played.

The AJK high court said that the matter was discussed in a meeting of the judges’ council “in view of its seriousness” and it was unanimously decided “it could not be overlooked because the dignity and authority of the courts were at stake and nobody could be allowed to undermine it”.

“However, […] before issuing contempt notice we are intended to ask the prime minister to appear in person and explain his position on the referred news,” it added.

“Prime Minister Tanveer Ilyas has directly threatened the superior judiciary and the language of his speech at a public meeting is highly derogatory, improper and indecently worded,” the order said.

Not only the latest statement but his “previous track record from several months is [also] objectionable, unbecoming and improper,” the court added.

The order said the judges’ council of the high court had unanimously decided not to leave the matter unattended “simply by shutting [its] eye from the contemptuous and derogatory statement of the person who is at the helm of affairs.”

“By showing magnanimity and judicial restraint, we have opted, at the beginning of the proceedings, to serve a notice on the prime minister to personally appear before the full court to explain his position.”

AJK PM Ilyas gave an unconditional apology to the court, saying “I apologise unconditionally if any of my words hurt the judge.”