Contempt hearing against Tallal delayed till March 6

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned a contempt hearing against Minister of State for Interior Affairs Tallal Chaudry till March 6.

A bench of the apex court adjourned the hearing owing to the absence of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader’s lawyer, who is on official leave until March 5.

Earlier on Saturday, Tallal Chaudhry submitted the initial response in the contempt case against him, requesting the Supreme Court to withdraw the case.

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 issued on February 2.

Chaudhry, in his response to contempt notice, wrote that scandalising the court or doing anything that tends to bring the court into “hatred, ridicule or contempt” is “not even the last thing on the respondent’s mind”.

“Whatever has been said might have been taken into account without relevance to the context due to media reporting,” states the response.

“There is no allegation on the answering respondent that any action or conduct of the answering respondent tends to prejudice the determination of a matter pending before the court.”

On February 19, Tallal Chaudhry appeared before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in contempt of court case.

The minister got a week to prepare for his case after he was able to hire a counsel for him within a deadline specified by the apex court.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Faisal Arab heard the case.