PoK high court disqualifies PM Sardar Tanveer Ilyas

NEW DELHI: The high court of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) has removed Sardar Tanveer Ilyas from the post of Prime Minister, making him the first premier of the region to be disqualified in a contempt of court case, media reports said.

The decision came after Ilyas was summoned to PoK's Supreme Court and high court for using a "threatening tone" in one of his speeches, The News reported.

Earlier in the day, Ilyas was welcomed by the PTI members as he appeared before the high court. A full bench, led by Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja, conducted the hearing of the case during which clips featuring the Prime Minister were played.

During the hearing, Ilyas offered an unconditional apology to the court, saying, "I apologise unconditionally if any of my words hurt the judge."

Later, the premier was sentenced till the rising of the court.

The full bench of the high court had summoned Ilyas in a contempt notice taken on his speech at a public meeting.

An order issued by the two-member bench on a newspaper clipping citing the speech of Ilyas said the decision was taken in a meeting of the judges where the issue was discussed at a considerable length, and it was noted that the overall conduct of the Prime Minister was contemptuous, The News reported.

The high court registrar had been directed to issue a notice to the PoK Prime Minister through his principal secretary to appear in person before the court on Tuesday and explain his position. The registrar had also directed to fix the matter before a full bench.

On Monday, Ilyas had criticised the stay orders issued by the courts and said the practice was affecting the performance of the government. The stay orders were temporary orders that must be decided within days but they lingered for years, he added.