MUZAFFARABAD - The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Supreme Court Wednesday fixed former prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas’ petition for hearing today against the high court’s decision to disqualify him from the top office on contempt charges.
The development came after the registrar of AJK SC removed the objections against the third appeal.
The AJK High Court on Tuesday last had removed Ilyas from the post of prime minister, making him the region's first premier to be disqualified in a contempt of court case.
Following the disqualification, the politician moved AJK’s top court against the high court's decision via a plea that mentioned Ilyas as the ‘AJK prime minister’. At this, the top court's registrar's office returned the plea with objections.
Earlier, AJK Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram censured the petitioner's lawyers for mentioning Ilyas as the current prime minister.
"Why didn't you comply when the registrar had raised objections," he asked. At this, Ilyas's lawyer requested the court to consider it written ‘former prime minister’.
"How could we read it as 'former'. You are a senior lawyer and this is Supreme Court [of AJK]," the justice remarked. The court then directed the lawyers to file a new plea, saying that the court will see when it has to take it up.