Defaming CJP easiest thing: Qazi Faez Isa

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, during hearing of a case, said that if you call someone’s names, everything is fine, adding that the easiest thing to do is to verbally abuse the chief justice.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Isa heard the matter regarding appointment of permanent vice chancellors in the public sector universities.

During the hearing, the federal secretary of education assured the court to conduct an audit of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) through the Auditor General of Pakistan.

Rehan Uddin, counsel for IIUI Rector Samina Malik, informed the court that his client had pain in his back bone, so she could not come to appear before the court, adding that her medical certificate has also been attached to his application.

The CJP, after reviewing the documents, said that her name is written in the application as Samina Malik while she has mentioned her name as Samina Rashid in the medical certificate.

"You have presented her fake medical certificate, therefore she could be summoned and if there is a need for an ambulance, it will be provided from the Supreme Court.

Later after interval Samina Malik appeared before the court in a wheelchair, and her counsel said that with such condition how the medical certificate could be fake.

The CJP, however, said that when the names are different in the medical certificate and other documents, there will be doubt.

The CJP said that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) says that whenever Samina was called for a meeting, she makes excuses for her illness, to which the counsel said that his client had been absent in only one meeting, but attended others online.

At this, Justice Isa asked if the HEC’s office was located in any other city that she participated in the meeting online.

"How many vacancies are there in the university," the CJP asked, to which the counsel said that he had asked the same question a member in the university board meeting had asked, and the answer was given there as well.

"I will give the same answer in court today," the counsel added, to which the chief justice remarked that if we are silent, it doesn’t mean that you misbehave with the court.

On the instruction of CJP, policemen in plain clothes forcibly removed the counsel from the rostrum.

The CJP asked as to what is Dr Samina was doing nearby journalists.

"Call her here," the Justice Isa added and when she came to the rostrum, he asked her why she did not attend the meetings.

"Right now, I am under the influence of medicine, give me some time, and I will answer all your questions," Dr Samina told the CJP.

"If you have to dramatise the situation, then leave from here," the CJP told Samina to which her lawyer objected to the chief justice being on bench and said: "You had asked all these questions in the meeting as a board member, you are also a board member, therefore, it would be appropriate [for you] not to hear this case.”

Justice Isa said that the chief justice or his representative is a member of the board of many universities, adding that when information is not to be given such objections are being raised.

The chief justice said that if there was any problem with the degree of any of his family members, then the objections of the counsel would have been justified.

"You have hired people for propaganda," the CJP said, adding that the court would hear the matter.

When Samina Malik left the courtroom, some journalists also left the courtroom, to which Justice Isa expressed his anger and said now three-four hired journalists will go and start abusing.

The CJP observed that he had taken one suo moto notice on behest of someone, and questioned as to whether they should take another notice of contempt and send someone to jail.

"There is only one woman in the whole of Pakistan who is sick all the time," the CJP remarked, adding that people will be hired on the media to start verbal abuse.

He observed that there are trustees of the IIUI from foreign countries, and if the rector is ill and cannot work, then she should leave the post.

During the hearing, the HEC officials presented the court report that the federal government gives the highest grant to the Islamic University.

To a court query, they submitted that the IIUI is given more than Rs2.1 billion annually while grant of Rs600 million from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also comes as well.

They further told the court that the total deficit of the university is Rs4.17 billion.

Similarly, to another court query, the additional attorney general told the court that the IIUI vice president, Mohammad Sarwar, has been appointed illegally without the approval of the Board of Governors. IIUI Department of Human Resource Director Atiq-ur-Rehman told the court that Mohammad Sarwar was appointed as a professor for two years on contract basis.

Later, the court declared the appointment of Sarwar as vice president illegal, while leaving the issue of whether or not to reinstate current Rector Samina Malik to the federal government, and adjourned the hearing for indefinite period.

Originally published in The News