ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday issued a notice to former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in a suo moto notice case pertaining to illegal construction of shops on the land of Pakpattan shrine land in 1985.
During the course of proceedings, the Additional Advocate General Punjab informed a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar that about 8,000 kanal land of the Pakpattan shrine, which belonged to the Auqaf Department, was sold Dewan Ghulam Qutab in 1985. The shrine was later declared a charitable endowment by the Auqaf Department and a court judgment had also been delivered in that regard, he added.
The chief justice asked under which law permission was given to construct shops on the shrine's property.
He observed,"The Supreme Court is the protector of the Constitution of Pakistan”.
To this, Iftikhar Gillani, counsel for Dewan Ghulam Qutab, said, "The people of Pakistan are the protectors of the Constitution and the Supreme Court is also answerable to it."
The CJP lamented Gillani's remarks, asking him to mind the way he was speaking. Gilani then said he would request the CJP not to hear his cases.
The chief justice observed,"Whenever you come to the court you attack it and think that judges are your children, who will hear your cases, the court will decide it."
Gillani said if the court wanted to issue notices then it might issue the same to about 8000 people across the country.
The CJP observed,"Yes we will issue notice to all persons concerned."
Subsequently the court issued the notice to then Punjab chief minister Nawaz Sharif seeking his reply on the matter and adjourned the case to date in office.
APP