A day after commotion and chaos at the Sindh High Court (SHC) during a hearing of seven petitions challenging the cancellation of Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri’s law degree, a written order of the court was released on Friday, stating that the SHC could “not be held hostage to the whims,  wishes of the advocates as to the manner in which the petitions shall be heard”.

Yesterday, commotion was witnessed at the SHC after a two-judge constitutional bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, dec­lined to entertain Justice Jahangiri’s plea to become a party in proceedings on the seven petitions. The bench set aside the IHC judge’s application, insisting that it would first hear and decide the maintainability of the petitions.

Lawyers for the petitioners, however, objected to the jurisdiction of the bench and urged the court to decide their objections first. The court, however, maintained that it would first examine and decide the issue of maintainability of the pleas.The proceedings drew a large number of lawyers inside and outside the courtroom, with many shouting slogans, clapping and later staging a protest outside the SHC against one of the judges.

The petitioners and their lawyers also walked out of the courtroom in protest over their objections not being addressed and the court’s refusal to entertain Justice Jahangiri’s plea.In its order released today, the SHC bench recalled that when Advocate Ebrahim Saifuddin was called from among the petitioners’ lawyers for arguments on the question of maintainability, he decline to present his arguments.

“According to him this court was required to first decide the preliminary objections raised by Salahuddin Ahmed and Faisal Siddiqui.”The order referred to Advocate Saifuddin with regards to another petition, mentioning that when he was directed to present arguments on the maintainability of the plea, he left the courtroom.

Similarly, the bench observed, when Advocate Siddiqui was called for to address the court on the question of maintainability, he also argued that objections regarding the jurisdiction of the court should be decided first. “When his request was declined by the bench, he left the courtroom stating that he would not proceed any further.

”About Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed, the order stated that upon being called for arguments on the issue of maintainability, the lawyer insisted that objections he had raised regarding an earlier order dated September 22 be decided first. Advocate Ahmed refused to address the matter of maintainability and left the court, the order added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)