ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred the indictment of Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry in contempt of court case till Thursday (today).
The three-member SC bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan heard the case.
During the course of proceedings, Talal Chaudhry's counsel Kamran Murtaza argued that there were several precedents where the court had shown leniency in such cases.
Justice Maqbool Baqar observed that the matter was not of disrespecting an individual but an institution. Kamran Murtaza requested the court allow him to present arguments on March 15 as he had to attend the funeral of a lawyer’s father on Wednesday.
Following which, the bench decided to adjourn the hearing till Thursday.
SC DISMISSES CONTEMPT PLEA AGAINST NAWAZ, SAAD
INP adds: The Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed another contempt of court petition against ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Railways Minister Saad Rafique.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar heard the petition filed by Sheikh Ahsan-ud-Din. The petitioner said Nawaz Sharif humiliated the court during his homecoming rally, by saying his disqualification is an insult of 200 million people’s vote. The CJP responded the content provided by the petitioner is political.
The plaintiff said Nawaz Sharif delivered speeches against the joint investigation team (JIT), which is unlawful. The CJP said the former PM used inappropriate words against the JIT and not against the court. “We have record of anti-judiciary speeches of the Sharif family, which will be considered at a suitable time,” he added.
Meanwhile, the court also turned down the contempt petition filed against Saaf Rafique. The petitioner prayed to the apex court to hear only two speeches of the minister. The CJP said: “We are ignoring several things.”
Earlier, the SC had dismissed contempt of court petitions against Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Capt (r) Safdar.