LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Monday accepted the unconditional apology made by former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal and vacated the contempt of court notice earlier served on the respondent after he made a statement against Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.
Ahsan Iqbal had tendered apology in writing before the full bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi on July 2. The bench had put off decision on the same till next date of hearing.
Justice Naqvi then had observed that the court would monitor conduct of the politician till next hearing as he had been found changing his stance inside and outside the court.
Last day, the bench observed conduct of the former minister had been positive.
Ahsan assured the bench of being more careful and responsible in future about his statements. At this, the bench accepted the apology and discharged the contempt proceedings against him.
In a case about appointments of vice chancellors at public sector universities, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had suspended Prof Dr Uzma Qureshi as vice chancellor of Lahore College for Women University observing that her appointment was maneuvered by the former minister for interior.
Later, Mr Iqbal speaking at a seminar in Islamabad had criticized the CJP’s remarks saying the chief justice had no right to name-calling people. He had also urged the chief justice to first issue him a charge sheet if had any evidence.
Talking to media persons at the LHC premises Ahsan Iqbal said the issue of dams should be taken seriously but it seemed that the present government was only interested in collection of donation. He said international funding was inevitable for the construction of dams.
He said his party (PML-N) would not hold sit-ins or lock downs, unlike the PTI, but oppose the government in the parliament. He said PML-N had acquired land for Diamer-Bhasha Dam and also produced 12000MW without any donation. He said the CPEC was one of the most transparent projects of the country. He said the PML-N would not only oppose but stop the government if it tried to roll back the project.
The former minister said leveling baseless allegations on the contracts of the CPEC was not fair. An independent commission should be formed to hold probe into the allegations, he added.