Supreme Court reserved its verdict after concluding hearings on contempt law petitions and is expected to announce the verdict at 3:30pm on Friday, according to a local TV channel.
A five-member bench of the court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani was hearing 27 identical petitions filed against recently passed contempt of court law.
Attorney General Irfan Qadir said, while presenting his arguments to the court, that he had the utmost respect for the court and he cannot afford even a diversion of one inch from the Constitution.
Justice Khawaja remarked, “you end up moving two to three inches away from the Constition”, which the AG denied.
Justice Arif Hussain said that the law fails to mention several terms related to the law, adding that the terms like ridicule, scandalization and contempt of court were not present in many sections of the law.
Justice Khawaja inquired as to why the former prime minister did not file an appeal against his conviction. The attorney general replied that Yousuf Raza Gilani made the right decision by not filing the appeal.
Contempt law case: SC to announce verdict today
