Pakistan Views

A reference has been filed by Hanif Merchant, a litigant against Chief Justice of High Court of Sindh (SHC), Justice Muhammad Afzal Soomro in Tessori gold case, said former Justice and former Advocate General Sindh Anwar Mansoor Khan.Talking to journalists here on Wednesday, he said that without notice to him the case was fixed and heard. The case should not have been fixed before the CJ as it was a matter to be heard by company judge. He (CJ) was not sitting on company side, he said adding that deliberately presence of counsel for appellant/complainant Hanif Merchant were not noted in case diary.He said that he has expressed no confidence in CJ in view of his reputation. A lawyer in our company was present and he claimed notice praying to the court to adjourn the matter which the case was taken up on May 02 at which the bench put off hearing till May 05. On May 05 we sought adjournment and the case was accordingly adjourned. To our astonishment, an order was passed on next day, May 06 under which entire case was disposed off.No case could be decided while hearing an application, he said adding that there is no precedence till date of such an order.To a question, he said that he has filed the reference and it is now upto SJC to decide when to hear the matter.Replying to another question, he said that appeal preferred by him before SHC and heard today by a division bench would proceed irrespective of reference filed by him before SJC against CJ of SHC.