The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has clarified opening its doors late onSaturday, when the fate of a no-trust resolution against former primeminister Imran Khan hung in the balance and rumours were rife that Mr Khanmight de-notify the army chief in his attempt “to play till the last ball”.
Meanwhile, a petition was also filed in the IHC on Saturday night, askingthe court to restrain Mr Khan from de-notifying Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa aschief of the army staff.
Another petition by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) requested thecourt to avert a constitutional crisis and implement the Supreme Court’sApril 7 order.
“The filing of petitions late in the evening on April 9, 2022, has beenmisreported and queries have been raised whether petitions can be presentedafter the notified court timings,” the IHC said in a statement issued onMonday.
IHC clarifies why its doors opened late at night on April 9
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In its statement, the IHC referred to two circulars issued on Nov 11, 2019and Feb 10, 2021 that prescribed “the manner of presentation of petitionsafter court timing”.
Through these circulars, the IHC notified that in case of an imminentthreat to the life or liberty of a citizen or any other important matter,the registrar office can receive the petition and transmit it to the chiefjustice even after court timing.
“As a constitutional court, the Islamabad High Court has ensured that casesrelating to extreme urgency are presented at any time after the notifiedtimings,” the high court said, adding: “The honourable chief justice, ifsatisfied that there exists extreme urgency, may order fixing of the caseat any time.”