The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday suspended the ruling of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in which the latter had suspended a sessions court order for the transfer of a case to another judge.  A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jamal Mandokhel, heard the case. Expressing indignation over the LHC’s order,  Justice Mandokhel wondered that how such a decision could be defended.  The judge further said that the high court judges did not properly study the law dealing with the subject.

“As a matter of fact, they suspended the verdict given by the sessions judge without taking the concerned law into consideration.” Speaking on the occasion, the state counsel said that as per law, a sessions judge could order the transfer of a case from one judge to another.Justice Mandokhel said it was unfortunate that the LHC judges, who gave the order, did not know even basic things about jurisprudence.

Mushtaq Mohal, a lawyer, argued that the high court’s decision was not as per law.Another lawyer, Syeda Kanwal, said that the sessions judge was empowered to transfer the case. Later the SC issued notices to the parties to the case and adjourned the hearing until next week.A sessions judge from Kasur had ordered the transfer of a case at the request of the suspects. But later, the LHC ordered that the case be sent again to the sessions judge. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)