The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed contempt of court proceedings against Registrar Sardar Tahir Saber and Deputy Registrar Security Muhammad Owaisul Hassan. A larger bench, after reviewing appeals from both officers, ruled in favor of terminating the proceedings.
In its verdict, the court stated that contempt proceedings cannot be initiated in the absence of a judicial or administrative order.
The case stemmed from a strike called by the Pakistan Bar Council and the Islamabad High Court Bar Association on May 9, 2024. Justice Babar Sattar had written a letter highlighting that litigants faced difficulties accessing the court due to the strike. The matter was initially presented to the senior presiding judge and later referred to the IHC’s Administration Committee.
However, an inquiry report dated May 14, prepared by the senior presiding judge, stated that lawyers were not obstructed from entering the court. Additionally, on May 20, the Administration Committee found no evidence of lawyers being “forcibly prevented” from attending court proceedings.
Justice Sattar later heard a plea on May 21 to restore a dismissed petition and requested the registrar to provide CCTV footage. The response from the registrar was found “unsatisfactory,” leading to the initiation of contempt proceedings.
The ruling further noted that a show-cause notice was issued to the deputy registrar of security, even though he was on leave on the day of the incident. This raised concerns about the legitimacy of the proceedings.
After reviewing all aspects of the case, the larger bench concluded that the contempt charges lacked sufficient grounds and formally closed the case.
