ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has expressed disappointment over the remarks IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani made against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Vice chairman of the PBC Abid Saqi observed that the IHC judge, during a hearing in a case, should have avoided commenting about the prolonged absence of the former prime minister.

The IHC judge said that the “accused knows how he went abroad after defeating the system,” and “he must be laughing at the system while sitting abroad.”

“It is a shameful conduct by the accused,” Justice Kayani further went on to say.

The court afterwards had observed that it was wasting time trying to procure Sharif’s attendance when thousands of other cases were pending.

Reacting to the observations, Mr Saqi responded that passing avoidable observations and remarks by courts during the hearing of cases often exposes both the court and judges concerned to criticism.

This, at times, undermines the neutrality and independence of the courts and presiding judges thus shaking confidence of people in the system of dispensation of justice, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2020