Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali for his failure to appear before it to argue a case involving interpretation of Article 62 (1)(f) of the constitution, wherein period of disqualification for the disqualified lawmakers has to be determined.

A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, directed the AGP to deposit the amount to the Fatimid Foundation. When the court resumed the hearing, Additional Attorney General Waqar Rana told the court that the AGP was in Lahore with regard to the demise of Asma Jahangir. He requested the court to adjourn the hearing until tomorrow (Wednesday).

The chief justice expressed dismay at his absence, saying: “We are also saddened by the demise of Asma Jahangir; however, the work should not stop.”

He asked Rana Waqar whether the case should be adjourned until today (Tuesday). Rana Waqar stated that the AGP was scheduled to go abroad today (Tuesday).

The chief justice then inquired that how the AGP could leave the country during the hearing of such an important case and that, too, without taking permission from the court.

He said AGP’s attitude was not appropriate. The court directed that the AGP should appear by 4:30pm to present his arguments. Later, the court adjourned the hearing until February 14.

The pleas were filed by several parliamentarians, who were disqualified on fake degrees. The court is interpreting Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution to determine the duration of disqualification.

All the counsels for the petitioners and others have concluded their arguments in the case, however, attorney general is yet to advance his arguments.

A majority of the counsels have argued that the period of disqualification should not for life, instead, it should be up to five years.

On last hearing, the chief justice had noted that the court might decide minimum and maximum sentences, adding that in such an instance the court would decide the sentence case-to-case.

Published in Daily Times, February 13^th 2018.