ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court Judge, Justice Azmat Saeed reprimanded lawyers in a case pertaining to the lease of government land, remarking that this [apex court] was not Lahore High Court.
During the hearing of a case pertaining to the leasing of government land to the private fuel pumps, the judge addressed the lawyers with point-blank remarks that the court should not be confused with the Lahore High Court.
‘This is not LHC where you can create ruckus to get the desired decision,’ the judge remarked and informed the lawyers that they should keep their voice low in the courtroom.
Upon this, seasoned lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan replied that you [Justice Azmat] was also part of Lahore High Court once.
To this, the judge replied that the existing court was not the one he left behind. The supreme court judge also addressed Aitzaz and wondered in which tone he was arguing before the bench.
Justice Azmat Saeed also questioned about the ownership of the land which is leased to the petrol pumps to which he was informed that most of the land belonged to LDA or Municipal Corporation.
During the hearing, Justice Azmat remarked that the government had not constituted any policy on the lease of land owing to which people were losing jobs after the closure of pumps.
‘State-owned assets were distributed mercilessly,’ the judge remarked.
‘Why shouldn’t the case be referred to the National Accountability Bureau?’ the judge remarked and reserved the verdict which would be announced later.
Though justice Azmat Saeed did not clarify his ‘cryptic’ remarks about the Lahore High Court, his observation probably points towards the bail granted to Pakistan Muslim league Nawaz leader Hamza Shehbaz who appeared before the provincial high court on Monday.
As the lawmaker sought extension in bail, dozens of party loyalists gathered outside the court and left the premises after the bail was approved and NAB was barred from arresting him till April 17th.
The anti-graft body had been trying to arrest the lawmaker for accumulating assets beyond means – a charge PML-N leader denies.
