The administration of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has commenced the process to return District and Sessions Judge Abul Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain to his original department, the Lahore High Court (LHC), due to alleged misconduct.
Judge Zulqarnain came under scrutiny after convicting former Prime Minister Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case, hastily concluding the trial and sentencing them to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each.
Sources within the IHC revealed to Dawn on Tuesday that Senior Puisne Judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, also serving as the inspection judge of the capital’s Special Courts, has recommended Judge Zulqarnain’s repatriation. This recommendation stemmed from certain observations made by a division bench of the high court regarding Judge Zulqarnain’s conduct in a bail order pertaining to a plea from PTI leader Aamir Masood Mughal.
Mughal, accused of leading a group of rioters that set a police van ablaze in March last year, sought pre-arrest bail at the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). During a hearing on February 6, Mughal requested the adjournment of the hearing until after the general elections on February 8, in which he participated as an independent candidate supported by the PTI. Judge Zulqarnain accepted the request and postponed the matter until February 13.
However, the IHC bench later noted discrepancies, stating that the petition for pre-arrest bail had been dismissed for non-prosecution. In response, the court directed the petitioner and his legal representatives to submit separate affidavits, confirming the facts. The investigation officer corroborated their statements, confirming the adjournment of the hearing until February 13.
While refraining from passing immediate judgments on Judge Zulqarnain’s conduct, the court indicated that further administrative action would be considered.
