Contemnor, says SC

The Supreme Court on Friday issued show-cause notice to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for using contemptuous and derogatory language against the judiciary and directed him to appear before the court to explain his position on January 7.

A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry issued the notice under Article 204 read with Section 3 of Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003, while hearing the Karachi law and order case.

It asked the MQM chief to appear before the court and explain why contempt proceeding should not be initiated against him for criticising the judiciary.

Following Supreme Court’s judgment on delimitation of constituencies in Karachi, Altaf criticised SC judges in a telephonic address to a party rally on November 30, calling remarks made by judges in the case unconstitutional and undemocratic.

The MQM chief had said that the judges’ remarks in delimitation of new constituencies’ case amounted to contempt of the mandate given by the people of Karachi.

On Friday, the chief justice said in his order that the MQM leader’s remarks following the delimitation order were not only contemptuous but also advanced threat to the court and tried to undermine its authority.

Excerpts of the speech were derogatory towards the judges, the chief justice said, adding that Hussain had targeted certain judges in his speech.

The chief justice said he had read the text of the speech and found it to be offensive and threatening. The language used in the speech was tantamount to an attempt to obstruct justice, he said.

The court directed PEMRA to submit the script of the relevant parts/portion of the speech. According to the order, in wake of law and order situation of Karachi the court issued a number of direction inter alia the delimitation of constituencies in the economic hub in the Watan Party case. The court noted that no review petition had been filed against the order.

When the directions contained in the judgment were not implemented, the court constituted a bench for implementation of its judgment, the order said.

The bench conducted its hearing in Karachi law and order situation and on the last date of hearing passed an interim order for the delimitation of the constituencies.

The order added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been directed to locate the exact place from where the speech was orated and deliver the notice to Altaf Hussain through the foreign mission in London. A notice is also to be served to MQM chief through party convener Farooq Sattar, who has also been directed to appear on January 7.

In a statement after issuance of the SC order, MQM chief Altaf Hussain said he would respond to the show-cause notice after consulting his close aides and legal advisers.