ISLAMABAD: State Interior Minister Tallal Chaudry’s lawyer Kamran Murtaza on Friday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to exercise judicial restraint, adding that being a lawyer was ‘difficult in a contempt of court case’.
However, he was asked by Justice Ejaz Afzal to diligently fulfil his duties as lawyers’ major aim should be to establish the ‘supremacy of law’. “Even if somebody throws a shoe at us, it is the solemn duty of the lawyer to defend him,” the justice told the defence counsel.
A three-judge SC bench, comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Faisal Arab resumed hearing the contempt of court case against Chaudry.
The court 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.
During the hearing, the defence counsel also requested the court to drop the case against the PML-N leader. The prosecutor Additional Attorney General Waqar Rana produced Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) DG Operations Haji Adam as a witness before the court to establish the case against the state minister.
The court allowed the official to record his statement, despite objections by defence counsel saying that the witness list did not mention submission of evidence.
Adam informed the court that the government had asked him to present clips of Chaudry’s speeches from January 24-27.
In response to a question, Adam said that he would typically spend 8-10 hours monitoring TV channels at the office and then continue the work at home through his mobile phone– as his earlier post was to monitor 117 channels.
Adam was also produced before the court for prosecution in the contempt of court case against PML-N MNA Daniyal Aziz.
The SC had formally indicted Chaudhry over contemptuous remarks against the judiciary last month.
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.
Minister Saad Rafique and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s alleged contemptuous speeches.
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.”
