LAHORE / ISLAMABAD: On Saturday, the legal community strongly disapproved of a letter from the Lahore High Court (LHC) to the foreign ministry, in which the LHC requested protocol privileges for a sitting judge’s son at international airports in the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Muhammad Iram Ayaz, the senior additional registrar of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench, wrote a letter dated October 6 (Friday) to the foreign secretary, expressing Justice Ali Baqar Najafi’s request for special protocol treatment for his son, Syed Muhammad Ali, at Abu Dhabi and John F. Kennedy (New York) international airports.
This communication was also forwarded to Pakistan’s ambassador in the UAE and the consul general in New York.
“I shall be highly grateful if necessary protocol facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE, and John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, USA, for fast process of immigration briefing along with facility of conveyance (from John F. Kennedy International Airport to the address 32 Garden Street New Haven CT 065611) and other protocol facilities may please be provided to Mr Syed Muhammad Ali, son of his lordship, according to the above-mentioned scheduled programme,” the letter stated.
On Saturday, the LHC withdrew the objectionable letter, but representatives of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) criticized the judge’s “desire.”
A new letter, composed by the senior additional registrar, stated, “As per the competent authority, the letter in question is hereby withdrawn and no action in this regard is required.”
Sources indicated that the foreign ministry had previously conveyed its inability to arrange the requested protocol services at airports outside the country.
An unnamed LHC official referred to a 2017 circular regarding a policy that had been approved by the high court’s administration committee. This policy mandates the provision of protocol services for judges and their immediate family members, such as wives, children, and parents, at airports, Daewoo bus stands, hospitals, Nadra offices, embassies for visa purposes, passport offices, and the ministries.
However, the official did not clarify whether the protocol policy extended to airports outside of Pakistan.
Legal Officials Criticize High Court’s Protocol Request for Judge’s Son
LHCBA Vice President Rabbiya Bajwa, expressed her disappointment at the letter. She described the senior judge’s request as “unbecoming”.
She stated that this behavior resulted in Pakistan’s worldwide embarrassment and emphasized that individuals in esteemed positions should serve the public with humility since their salaries come from public funds.
Ms. Bajwa also raised questions about the legitimacy of the “protocol policy” that had been internally devised by the judges of the LHC administration committee for their own benefit.
Upon discovering the high court’s letter requesting protocol facilities for the son of a senior judge, Sabahat Rizvi, the LHCBA secretary, expressed shock. However, other judges highly respected this judge.
She contended that the high court’s policy for granting protocol to judges’ families was unlawful.
