SC serves notice on Nawaz Sharif in three-decade old case

ISLAMABAD - The embattled former premier Nawaz Sharif  was served another notice by the Supreme Court in a three-decade-old case regarding illegal construction of shops on shrine land in Pakpattan city of Punjab.

The top court has issued notices to 8,000 people including the then Chief Minister Punjab, Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday.

During the hearing of the case, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar and defence lawyer Iftekhar Gillani exchanged harsh remarks.

'Under which law, the shops were built on the shrine land?,' the top judge questioned.

To this, the defence lawyer said that it was inappropriate that the court was declaring the notification unconstitutional after the passage of 29 years.

'The supreme court is authorized to declare the notification unconstitutional,' the chief justice remarked.

The top judge reprimanded the counsel and clarified that the court was responsible for supremacy of the Constitution.

The counsel continued that the people of Pakistan were the custodian of the constitution and the top court was also under the law and constitution.

'Lower your voice and mend your tone,' the top judge instructed the lawyer.

Upon this, the counsel replied that his tone would be the same as his [CJP].

The lawyer pleaded that under the current circumstances, his cases should not be fixed before a bench comprising the chief justice.

However, the top judge clarified that he would hear the cases to be pleaded by Iftikhar Gillani.

'Ever since he was operated upon, he considers the judge and the courts as his offsprings,' Mian Saqib Nisar said in a reference to Gillani.

The hearing of the case was adjourned for an indefinite time period.