Notices issued on fee payment

THE Lahore High Court has issued contempt of court notices to ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs for releasing $2 million to three American lawyers for defending Dr Aafia Siddiqui in US courts in violation of LHC’s orders.

The contempt petition was filed by Barrister Iqbal Jafrree submitting that LHC on August 12 had restrained the federal government from releasing the said money to American lawyers for pleading the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui in American courts.

The counsel said the government in sheer violation of the court’s orders released the hefty amount to the panel of three American lawyers. He requested the court to initiate proceedings against the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs under contempt of court charges.

The court issued notices to respondents for August 24 and directed a Deputy Attorney General to manage replies from the respondents. The counsel had challenged the allocation of $2 million (Rs 170 million) by the government for fighting the case of Aafia through three lawyers in America and feared that the hard-earned money of the nation would go to the pockets of some people and the goal would remain unachievable.

He said that the government laid aside such hefty amount for fighting the case while it did not bother to write to the ICJ spending a small amount to take up the matter. He prayed to the court for restraining the spending of the said amount on fighting and moving the ICJ.

Source: The News