• Letter sought special treatment for LHC Justice Najafi’s son at Abu Dhabi, NYC airports
• LHCBA vice president terms senior judge’s request ‘unbecoming’

LAHORE: The legal fraternity on Saturday expressed strong disapproval of a letter from the Lahore High Court (LHC) to the foreign ministry seeking protocol privileges for a sitting judge’s son at international airports in the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The letter — dated Oct 6 (Friday) and written by senior additional registrar of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench, Muhammad Iram Ayaz, to the foreign secretary — indicated Justice Ali Baqar Najafi’s desire for special protocol treatment for his son, Syed Muhammad Ali, at Abu Dhabi and John F. Kennedy (New York) international airports.

The communique was also sent to Pakistan’s ambassador in the UAE and the consul general in New York.

“I shall be highly grateful if necessary protocol facilities at Abu Dhabi Int­ernational Airport, UAE, and John F. Kennedy Inter­national Airport, New York, USA, for fast process of immigration briefing along with facility of conveyance (from John F. Ken­nedy International Air­port to the address 32 Garden Street New Haven CT 065611) and other protocol facilities may please be provided to Mr Syed Muha­m­mad Ali, son of his lordship, according to the above-mentioned scheduled programme,” the letter read.

While the LHC withdrew the objectionable letter on Saturday, the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) representatives criticised the “desire” of the judge.

A fresh letter written by the senior additional registrar said, “As per the competent authority, the letter in question is hereby withdrawn and no action in this regard is required.”

Sources said the foreign ministry had already conveyed its incapability to provide the desired protocol facilities at airports outside the country.

An LHC official, who declined to be named, referred to a 2017 circular about a policy approved by the high court’s administration committee. The policy stipulates protocol facilities for judges and their immediate family members, including wives, children and parents, at airports, Daewoo bus stands, hospitals, Nadra offices, embassies for visa purposes, passport offices and the ministries.

However, the official failed to explain whether the protocol policy covered airports outside Pakistan.

Talking to Dawn, LHCBA Vice President Rabbiya Bajwa, expressed her disappointment at the letter and described the senior judge’s request as “unbecoming”.

Such behaviour caused embarrassment for Pakis­tan the world over, she said, stressing that people at noble offices should serve the public with humility as they were paid from the public exchequer.

Ms Bajwa also questio­ned the legitimacy of the “pro­tocol policy” internally made by the judges of the LHC administration committee for their own cause.

The LHCBA secretary, Sabahat Rizvi, said it was shocking to learn about the high court letter seeking protocol facilities for the son of a senior judge, who otherwise enjoyed great respect among judges.

She believed that the high court’s policy for the provision of protocol to the families of the judges was illegal.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2023