Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Tuesday submitted in the Islamabad High Court the report of the committee headed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Raja Zafarul Haq on the matter of a clause related to Finality of Prophethood in the Election Act of 2017.

Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Arshad Mehmood Kayani submitted the report only after the court had set a final deadline, threatening to initiate contempt of court charges.

On Tuesday, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was irritated on delays in submission of the report, and gave the government till 1pm to submit it or face contempt proceedings. “In case of non-compliance, the court will be constraint to issue contempt notices to all the delinquents and the prime minister would be called in person.”

“Let the heavens fall, there is nothing important than this issue,” said Justice Siddiqui.

DAG Arshad Mehmood Kayani earlier informed the court that he was unable to submit the report due to a miscommunication. He subsequently sought time till tomorrow. However, Justice Sidiqui rejected his plea, saying, “This is an entirely lame excuse to frustrate the court’s order.”

He then directed the DAG to submit the report by 1pm.

Meanwhile, the court has separated hearing in the Faizabad sit-in case from the matter pertaining to Khatm-e-Nabuwat clause, observing that the Supreme Court had already taken cognizance of the Faizabad sit-in case.

Justice Siddiqui also observed that the court would conduct hearings in the case everyday to reach a conclusion in a timely manner.

On February 12, the IHC had warned the federal government that contempt notices would be issued to the prime minister, law, interior and religious affairs ministers if the report prepared on the issue by the committee that also included Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Climate Change Minister Mushahidullah Khan was not submitted by February 20.

Late last year, a barelvi extremist outfit had staged a protest sit-in against changes in the clause pertaining to the Finality of Prophethood, which were subsequently reversed by the government. The sit-in had ended after an agreement was brokered between the government and the protesters by the Army chief and an ISI officer. The agreement included resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid.

Published in Daily Times, February 21^st 2018.