Court admonishes Sheikh Rashid for dragging courts in parliamentary matters

Expressing strong indignation over the filing of a petition against the constitution of a 72-member federal cabinet, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday made it clear to former interior minister Sheikh Rashid that if ever he filed the petition of a political nature again, the court would have no choice but to impose an ‘exemplary’ fine on him, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

“Don’t degrade the parliament any more,” remarked IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah, and added that was the mindset that had lowered the prestige of the law-making body in the eyes of people.  

Speaking on the occasion, Rashid’s lawyer said that his client had no other forum for the redressal of his complaint than the court. 

But Justice Minallah reminded him that parliament was the right forum for raising issues like this one since it was made of elected representatives of the people. “We will not interfere in parliamentary affairs,” he told the petitioner.   

Later talking to the media outside the court, former interior minister said that today the IHC CJ had questioned him as to why he did not go to the parliament. “I told him that it was former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s decision not to go to the parliament, and I am doing exactly that,” he said, and added, “The chief justice asked me to go to the parliament because that was the place where legislators could raise issues of public importance.” 

Reporter: Ehtisham Kiani