While hearing the drug case against Former Law Minister (FLM) Rana Sanaullah, presiding judge Masood Arshad announced that he had been asked to stop working through a "WhatsApp message" therefore he couldn't continue the proceedings.
In a rare incident in Pakistan's judicial history, a judge received his transfer message through WhatsApp in the middle of the hearing of a high-profile political case at the special court in Lahore on Wed.
As the hearing in the drug case against opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-(N) Punjab chief & FLM Rana Sanaullah was underway at the special court for Control of Narcotics Substance Lahore presiding judge Masood Arshad announced that he had been asked to stop working through a "WhatsApp message" therefore he could n't continue the proceedings.
"I have just received a message on my WhatsApp. I have been asked to stop from working & my services have been repatriated to the Lahore HC," Judge Arshad told the defence & prosecution lawyers standing behind the rostrum.
During the proceedings the judge observed that the video the prosecution presented in the special court regarding recovery of 15 kg heroine from the car of Sanaullah doesn't establish the recovery. The special court was hearing the bail application of Sanaullah.
"I am answerable to God only & decision would have been on merit irrespective of who is involved in this case," said Judge Arshad & announcing his recusal from the case.
"As the prosecution failed to establish the fake case instituted by the PTI govt & the court intended to give bail to Sanaullah, the judge was transferred by the govt. This is unprecedented & perhaps this never happened in the dictatorial regimes of Pakistan in the past. Today is the black day for Pakistan's judiciary," a senior lawyer associated with the case told. "This is also a test case for the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take notice & do the needful to restore its prestige," he said & added that no where in the civilised world this happens that a judge is stopped in the middle of hearing.
The judge's announcement came as a surprise for those present in the special court. "What happened today is unprecedented. The govt is now deciding from which judge it wants to get a case heard. The manner in which the trial judge was stopped from working is highly questionable," said Sanaullah's counsel Azam Tarar.
The govt's justice & law depart. on Wed also transferred the judges who were hearing the case of PML-N leaders Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz & Hamza Shahbaz.
PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Auranzeb said in a statement that selected PM Imran Khan launched a scathing attack on judiciary by transferring the judge in the Sanullah case.
"Imran Khan is a fascist & he is using the state institutions like Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to take revenge from his political opponents," she said & added this 'WhatsApp message reminds us of WhatsApp call on which a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was constituted against Former PM Nawaz Sharif in the Panama case.
She urged the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take notice of this as this never happened in the country's history before.
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