The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s explanation after the minister was summoned for his comments “ridiculing the court” over the transfer of Inspector-General of Police Islamabad Jan Muhammad.
The apex cou
rt had also taken exception to Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati’s statement.
During the hearing of a suo motu case pertaining to IGP’s transfer, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, had summoned the ministers.
Justice Ahsan said the ministersR
17; statements were “irresponsible” and “indirectly ridiculing the court”.
He recalled the transfer of IG Punjab was done in a similar manner which led to Nasir Durrani resigning in protest.
The attorney general, however, defended the government’s decision by claiming that the transfer was already in the works. He said a case was already being made against Jan Muhammad due to Minister of State for Interior Shahryar Afridi’s co
mplaints.
When the attorney general shared a WhatsApp conversation between the state minister and the IGP, Justice Ahsan asked if the government was running state affairs via WhatsApp
.
R20;The country will be run according to the law. We do not
care who is running the government,” he added.
Earlier, the apex cou
rt had sought a written explanation from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government through the AGP as to whether the transfer was bona fide or colourable exercise of power.
Published in Daily Times, November 1st 2018.
