Islamabad:
The president of the Superior Court of Lahore (LHC), Aalia Neelum, has formed a larger bank to listen to a statement presented by the Government against the suspension of a detention law, the maintenance of the Public Order Ordinance (MPO), 1960.
A day before, on Thursday, CJ Aalia Neelum reserved his order while listening to an application for an early audience of a petition filed against last year of the LHC. The CJ announced its order on Friday, announcing the formation of a larger bank to hear the appeal of the government.
The LHC on November 1, 2024 temporarily restricted the attached commissioners (DC) in Punjab to issue more detention orders under section 3 of the MPO 1960 ordinance.
Judge Muhammad Amjad Rafiq approved the order while listening to a request presented by a PTI leader at the last hearing of the case, PTI’s lawyer, Azhar Siddique, had raised the objection to the bank that included Judge Neelum, holding that the matter was still pending in the court of Judge Rafiq.
He argued that the bank that includes the CJ did not have the jurisdiction to listen to this case. He said Judge Rafiq had already examined the case in great detail.
“Judge Amjad Rafiq had issued a suspension order in accordance with the law,” he said. The CJ commented that Judge Rafiq was currently listening to cases in the LHC Fine Registry.
Siddique argued that Judge Amjad Rafiq’s bank was in Lahore on March 21 and the case cannot be listed before this bank. The CJ, however, rejected his argument, asking him to “stay silent.” He later reserved his order in the case in the midst of the lawyer’s protest.
