Justice Hashim Kakar’s Light-Hearted Remark Sparks Laughter in Supreme Court Hearing

ISLAMABAD: A light moment in the Supreme Court on Tuesday drew laughter in the courtroom when Justice Hashim Kakar jokingly remarked that the bench had “nothing left to lose,” during a hearing related to a police officer’s conduct in a Faisalabad criminal trial.

During the proceedings, Shah Khawar — counsel for Islamabad’s DIG Headquarters Malik Jamil Zafar — informed the court that a criminal case was under trial in a Faisalabad court, which had issued strict observations against his client, who was serving as an SP at the time. The trial court had instructed police to ensure the presence of witnesses, which it said had not been done.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim observed that police responsibilities went beyond arresting people. “Witnesses also need to be produced before courts. The trial judge cannot personally go and bring them in,” he remarked.

At one point, Justice Hashim Kakar inquired about the police officer standing in the courtroom. When Shah Khawar confirmed that he was indeed the DIG, Justice Kakar smiled and said in a humorous tone: *“Look, he’s standing here intimidating us. Brother, we already have nothing left to lose!”*

The light-hearted remark prompted laughter across the courtroom.

Following the submissions, the Supreme Court set aside the Lahore High Court judge’s chamber decision, which had upheld the trial court’s observations against the police officer. The apex court directed that the appeal be restored and sent back to the High Court for a fresh hearing on merits within two months.

The petitioner’s lawyer maintained that the previous decision had been issued without granting them a proper hearing.