LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has restored the petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan that was dismissed earlier due to non-prosecution.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice criticised lawyers for misinforming the media after missing court appearances. Advocate Sardar Latif Khosa informed the court that lawyer Intizar Hussain Panjutha had already apologised.
Chief Justice Neelum remarked that no political party, including PTI, had received as much relief from her court as commonly perceived, adding that decisions were made strictly on case files, not faces or fees.
Hearing a miscellaneous petition filed by the PTI founder, Khosa complained that the Registrar’s Office repeatedly omitted his client’s name from the cause list. The Chief Justice responded that lawyers often publish incorrect reports about the court in the press.
She noted that at the previous hearing, the case was called but no lawyer appeared, yet they later claimed they were unaware of the schedule. Khosa reiterated Panjutha’s apology, but the Chief Justice emphasised that the court does not operate based on personal preference.
She added that although bar associations had announced a strike, her court continued to hear cases. Khosa said the strike was meant to preserve the honour of the court, not for personal reasons.
Chief Justice Neelum further remarked that only one lawyer is sufficient for a case and that excessive lawyers crowding the courtroom is unnecessary.
Finally, the court restored the dismissed petition of the PTI founder and scheduled the hearing for the following day.
