ISLAMABAD – Former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal tendered an unconditionalapology in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday during the hearing of acontempt case lodged against him.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi resumed thehearing of the case and told Iqbal that his detailed answer did not containthe words required for an apology.
“I respect the judiciary. I apologise to the court unconditionally,” theformer minister had submitted before the august court.
Afterwards, the court adjourned the hearing till July 2 and demanded ananswer from the PML-N leader, however, Iqbal’s counsel had sought time tillafter the upcoming elections.
The petitioner had alleged that the former security czar gave a statementagainst the judiciary and the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and usedderogatory words against the judiciary.
The case pertains to Iqbal’s outburst against the top judge when the PML-Nleader expressed that enough was enough, referring to the remarks of thechief justice.
The top judge had observed in the courtroom that Ahsan Iqbal was behind theappointment of Dr Uzma Quraishi as vice-chancellor (VC) of the LahoreCollege for Women University (LCWU).
The lawmaker took a strong exception to the remarks of the chief justiceand opined that the top judge was not authorized to abuse [him]. He alsorequested the CJP to have a big heart and not get agitated by minusculeissues.
‘If judges are patriotic, so are the politicians’ remarked the minister andadded that he had done politics with respect and sanctity throughout hislife.