SC grants Tallal Chaudhry a week to engage counsel in contempt case

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  • PML-N leader tells court he wanted to hire Asma Jahangir as lawyer

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has given one more week to Minister of State for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudhry to engage a counsel in the contempt case.

Appearing before the three-judge bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Chaudhry contended that he had requested noted lawyer Asma Jahangir to be his counsel, but owing to her demise, he was at present without legal representation.

Jahangir passed away in Lahore on Sunday after suffering a stroke.

Upon this, the bench allowed him to hire counsel and adjourned the hearing till January 19.

The apex court initiated contempt proceedings against Tallal Chaudhry on account of “derogatory and contemptuous speeches/statements” with regard to the honourable court, read a notification.

“You have made derogatory and contemptuous speeches/statements at public gatherings, telecast by different TV channels, which prima facie constitute interference with and obstruction of the process of the Court as well as aimed at belittling the stature of this Apex Court within the contemplation of Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003,” it said.

During the last hearing on February 6, the court gave Tallal Chaudhry one week time in the contempt of court case initiated against him.

Earlier, after sentencing former PML-N senator Nehal Hashmi to one month in prison and disqualification from the parliament for five years in the contempt of court case, the Supreme Court summoned Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry over the charges of contempt of the higher judiciary.

Addressing a public gathering in Jaranwala, the PML-N stalwart had said: “There was a time when the Kaabah was filled with idols and now the judiciary, the country’s highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.”

Following the verdict on Nehal Hashmi, Tallal Chaudhry regretted the decision and questioned if others who committee contempt would also be taken to task, or is the PML-N the only target.

“You cannot force respect through fear,” he remarked.

2 COMMENTS

  1. The PML(N) court basher has played smarter. Whether or not he may have contacted Ms Asma Jahangir, has gained another week to play with the law. Hopefully, the SC also can understand that delaying tactic but were gracious enough to let him play.

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