Islamabad: Contempt of Court Notice Against PM Shehbaz Sharif Temporarily Halted in Aafia Siddiqui Case

ISLAMABAD:The process of issuing contempt of court notices to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and members of his federal cabinet in the Aafia Siddiqui case has been temporarily halted, according to sources from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Registrar’s Office.

As reported by Express News, a note from the office of Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, dated July 16, indicated that the case would be heard on July 21. However, sources within the Registrar’s Office stated that the weekly court roster had already been issued prior to this note. As a result, an amendment to the roster and a new cause list were required, which have not yet been finalized.

The Registrar’s Office explained that a note was forwarded to the competent authority after July 16 regarding the July 21 hearing, but a response has not yet been received. Without this approval, the case cannot proceed further, and no contempt notices can be dispatched at this stage.

Additionally, officials noted that since the case had not yet been officially scheduled or heard, it was unclear how notices could be issued based on a non-existent judicial order. The court will wait for instructions from the competent authority before moving forward.

Previously, the IHC had issued contempt of court notices to the Prime Minister and federal ministers over non-compliance in the Aafia Siddiqui case, ordering them to submit their responses within two weeks.