SC takes notice of smear campaign against CJ

In a bid to put pressure on the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), some unidentified quarters have started a smear campaign through provocative SMSs that are trying to portray the CJP as an “anti-Shia” person, it has been learnt.
Taking prompt notice of the campaign, Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain directed the Islamabad Police to expose the people responsible. After hectic efforts, police investigators are now closing in on the SMS generator, who is said to be someone living in Karachi.
Sources in the Supreme Court told Pakistan Today that a couple of weeks ago, former Justice Javed Nawaz Gandapur of the Peshawar High Court received such a message, in which it was mentioned, “It’s high time for the Shia community to come forward against the chief justice, who is not taking suo motu notice of killings of Shia and release of the killers of Shia people.”
The sources said the former judge forwarded the message to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and requested him to take action against those trying to malign the judiciary. The Supreme Court registrar then wrote a letter to the Islamabad Police, directing them to investigate the matter within 15 days.
The sources said police investigators managed to trace some people involved in the act, however, the real culprit who first sent the provocative SMS is yet to be traced.
The SMS was last received in Peshawar by Justice Gandapur. The sources said before reaching Peshawar, the SMS kept making rounds in Lahore, Faisalabad and Rahim Yar Khan.
Sources in the apex court told Pakistan Today that the court was taking the issue seriously and no one would be allowed to malign the judiciary’s image.
The sources said the SC registrar also directed the Islamabad Police to examine talk shows and other news stories in which PPP Senator Faisal Raza Abidi leveled allegations against the CJP and Supreme Court.
Police were asked to check whether TV channels, while airing shows in which Abidi leveled allegation, had violated Pakistan Electronic Media Regulating Authority (PEMRA) rules. The Islamabad Police is now investigating both the SMS campaign and TV talk shows. Last month, the CJ took suo motu notice of a press conference by Senator Abidi in which he hurled serious allegation against the CJP, alleging that Justice Chaudhry acquitted a terrorist who had killed 100 people.