On Sunday, January 22, 2012, a private news channel aired an interview of retired SC justice, Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday with Kamran Khan. It was a deliberate effort to influence the court in contempt of court proceeding. The matter of the president’s immunity was discussed in detail.
Article 248 is self-explanatory and clear on the issue. It does not need any interpretation. The judge and the anchor were trying hard to impose new meaning on the term, and the article itself. Justisce Ramday by appearing in this special programme has sent a wrong message. His statements were absurd as was his legal reasoning and arguments.
He thought that government failed to raise the immunity plea earlier on and the matter was purely civil and not criminal whereas criminal court proceeding were instituted by Swiss cases in fact. His reasoning was askew.
The whole thrust of his argument was to give the verdict on the case, sitting in the programme. He should realise that he has retired from the Supreme Court. Instead of wrangling with the pending case before the court, he should enjoy his retirement.
JAVAID BASHIR
Lahore
