LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) larger bench withdrew on Monday non-bailable arrest warrants for Lahore High Court Bar Association-Multan (LHCBA-Multan) President Sher Zaman Qureshi on the request of senior members of the bar who also undertook to ensure appearance of the lawyer before the bench on Aug 2.

The five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, had issued warrants for the arrest of lawyers Qureshi and Syed Qaiser Abbas Kazmi in addition to contempt of court notices for being rude to a judge of the LHC at the Multan bench.

Dozens of lawyers had gathered in the courtroom No 1 when the bench resumed hearing, however, Mr Qureshi did not make his appearance. Mr Kazmi, however, submitted his written reply pleading that he was not involved in the alleged incident.

A report filed on behalf of the Multan City police revealed that Mr Qureshi had refused to receive the court’s notice. However, it said, the police official concerned took photograph when the notice was being served upon Mr Qureshi.

Punjab Bar Council Vice Chairman Syed Azmat Bokhari, LHCBA President Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, former LHCBA-Multan president Ashraf Khan and other senior lawyers from Multan appeared before the bench.

They requested the judges to withdraw the non-bailable arrest warrants of Mr Qureshi and gave undertaking they would ensure his appearance on the next hearing.

The bench allowed the request and withdrew warrants for the time being. However, Justice Shah observed if Mr Qureshi failed to appear before the court on Aug 2 the law would take its course.

Senior lawyers also stated that the matter could have been resolved through negotiations before the initiation of contempt proceedings.

At this, the chief justice reminded the lawyers that a committee consisting of two judges of the high court was formed to this effect but no one from the bar approached it. The bench adjourned hearing till Aug 2. Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza were the other members of the larger bench.

In an incident took place on July 24 last, Mr Qureshi and Mr Kazmi with others had initially misbehaved with Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan and obstructed judicial proceedings of his court in Multan bench and afterwards vandalised and ransacked the court premises and ripped off the name plate of the judge.

After the incident, the chief justice had withdrawn judges working at the Multan Bench and posted them at the Principal Seat, Lahore. Later in view of problems of the litigants the chief justice restored functioning of the Multan registry from July 27 and judges resumed their work from Monday.

The larger bench was constituted to proceed against the delinquent lawyers under the law of contempt and High Court Rules and Orders for suspension and/or removal of their practice of the LHC.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the LHCBA said the representatives of the bar along with a delegation of lawyers from Multan met the two-member committee of the LHC - Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali and Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi - and discussed the issue.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2017