- Minister asks court to show same restraint as shown in Saad Rafique, Nawaz Sharif’s cases
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday formally indicted State Interior Minister Tallal Chaudhry over contemptuous remarks against the judiciary.
A three-judge SC bench, comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Faisal Arab, had taken up the matter following the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s alleged derogatory and contemptuous statements and speeches against the apex court at PML-N public gatherings.
The bench read out charges against Chaudhry in the courtroom. Subsequently, the minister pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the charges against him.
Chaudhry was indicted under Article 204 of the country’s constitution, which provides for punishment of a person for contempt of court in accordance with law.
Chaudry’s counsel Kamran Murtaza argued that the charges against his client do not fall under the purview of contempt of court. However, the bench observed that his client will be given a chance to defend himself.
Justice Ejaz remarked that the court will not pursue the case if it feels it is not warranted.
At the outset of the proceedings, Chaudhry submitted an application in court asking that the same restraint be shown in his case as shown in cases pertaining to Railways Minister Saad Rafique and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s alleged contemptuous speeches.
The SC on Wednesday had dismissed a contempt of court petition against Sharif and Rafique filed by a leader of former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s political party. The court had said that “commenting cleanly on a [court] decision is the right of every citizen”.
During his speech at PML-N’s rally in Jarranwala in January, Chaudhry had said: “There was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. Today, the judiciary, which is the country’s highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.”
“Mian Nawaz Sharif, throw them out, throw him out of the court. They will not give justice but will continue their injustices.”
The bench then adjourned the hearing till March 27.
At the last hearing on March 14, the court deferred framing of charges against the minister for a day after Chaudhry’s counsel informed the bench that he has to attend a funeral.
The court provided Chaudhry with a copy of the charge-sheet.
On February 24, the minister, while requesting the court to withdraw the case, had stated 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,” Chaudhry had written in his initial response.
According to a notification issued on February 2, the apex court had initiated contempt proceedings against Chaudhry on account of “derogatory and contemptuous speeches/statements” with regard to the court.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court indicted another PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz in a case regarding anti-judiciary speeches.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Mazhar Alam Miankhel, took up the case against the federal privatisation minister. The court indicted the minister under Article 204 and contempt of court law 2003.
The apex court remarked that the federal minister has ‘scandalised’ the judiciary, adding that Aziz intervened in court matters.
Justice Mushir Alam read the charge sheet for the accused minister, while Aziz rejected the allegations levelled against him.