AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer disqualified

MUZAFFARABAD: The High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir found Sardar Tanveer Ilyas guilty of contempt of court and disqualified him as the member of the AJK Legislative Assembly and subsequently as the region’s prime minister on Tuesday.

Sardar Tanveer was summoned on Tuesday to appear before the full bench of the AJK High Court, headed by Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja, in a contempt notice taken on his speech at a public meeting in which he made “derogatory remarks about the superior judiciary”.

A day earlier, Sardar Tanveer had criticised the stay orders issued by the courts and said it was affecting the performance of the government. In reference to a $15 million Saudi Arabia-funded education sector project, he said the stay orders were temporary orders that must be decided within days but they lingered for years. He was also unhappy with the de-sealing of tobacco factories — involved in tax evasion — by the courts. Clips of his speeches were played during the hearing on Tuesday.

In his defence, the AJK prime minister offered his apology, saying, “I apologise unconditionally if any of my words hurt the judge.”

Sardar Tanveer was asked to appear before both the AJK High Court and Supreme Court on Tuesday in notices served on him through his principal secretary.

Justice Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed read out the full court’s judgement, according to which Sardar Tanveer was sentenced till the rising of the court.

Meanwhile, reacting to the news, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that it is important to respect the decisions of the court whether it is the prime minister of Pakistan or AJK as the country cannot run by destroying the judicial system.

“Be it the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir or Pakistan, it is important to respect court decisions. The country cannot run by destroying the judicial system. Prime Minister should apologise to Azad Kashmir court and hope to get relief from Supreme Court. Prime Minister of Pakistan can learn from this decision,” Fawad tweeted.