MUZAFFARABAD – Former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas’ plea to the AJK Supreme Court to set aside the High Court’s decision on his disqualification was rejected on Thursday.
As the court presided over by Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram began hearing the case on Thursday, the legal team representing the former premier pleaded that the High Court’s verdict was “in violation of the constitutional provisions and established principles of administration of justice”.
They argued that the appellant [Ilyas] was not given a fair chance to be heard and to be represented by the counsel, and that Article 45 of the Interim Constitution specified that the Contempt of Court Act of 1993 would govern the contempt proceedings.
They said the High Court disregarded the established procedure provided under the Act.
They argued that the High Court didn’t have the authority to remove the former premier from office since the requirement for disqualification was at least two years in jail, but the term the court gave him was only five minutes.
Khawaja Farooq Ahmad becomes Azad Kashmir’s acting PM after Tanveer Ilyas’ disqualification
Ilyas “had admitted the commission of contempt in black and white,” Justice Akram remarked. “What else did the [High] Court need to convict him?”
The former premier’s attorney pleaded with the Chief Justice to at least halt the execution of the election commission’s notification until the appeal is decided.
The request was rejected.
Earlier, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on Tuesday removed Sardar Tanveer Ilyas as prime minister of Azad Kashmir for contempt of court.
The high court’s ruling was made after Ilyas was called before the Supreme Court and AJK High Court for employing a “threatening tone” in one of his remarks.
