The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed PML-N senior leader and MNA Khawaja Asif to try to resolve the issue of his production orders in the parliament, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Adjourning the hearing of Kh Asif’s plea regarding issuance of production orders until February 24, a single bench ordered to solve the matter at the forum of parliament first and if unsuccessful then he can approach the court.

The court remarked there would be respect for institutions if the courts do not interfere in such cases. 

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked do politicians come to court if there is democracy in the country. “This is a political matter and it should be settled in the parliament. The court cannot interfere.”

Barrister Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Rana Tanveer Hussain, saying that he had written to issue production orders to Khawaja Asif on February 1 but it has not been issued yet.

The IHC chief justice remarked that, in a democracy, it is not common for cases of a political nature to come to the courts. “We have written in our decisions that this court does not interfere in such political matters,” he maintained, adding “You [Khawaja Asif] present a copy of our decision to the Speaker of the National Assembly.”

He said the IHC cannot issue directions to the NA speaker and it is the job of the leadership to honour the body of such a large standing committee. “Respect for the National Assembly will come only when the courts do not interfere in any matter relating to them,” IHC chief justice said while asserting that if the institution had been respected, this would not be the case today.

He further said that the court is not issuing any order at this stage.

Meanwhile, Ranjha said that being the speaker it is Asad Qaiser's prerogative to issue production orders.

The court directed that the petition is pending and no notice has been issued yet.

Ranjha said the speaker has issued the production orders but the National Assembly secretary is not implementing them. The chief justice asked how come secretary cannot implement the orders of the speaker.

The judge also directed the chairman public accounts committee to resolve the matter in parliament.