ISLAMABAD - Rejecting a plea of former state minister Talal Chaudhry to defer the contempt of court proceeding against him till the general election, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed him to ensure the presence of his lawyer and witnesses in his defence at the next hearing on June 21.

When a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed took up the contempt case against former Chaudhry, his counsel Kamran Murtaza did not show up. A junior defence counsel informed the court that Murtaza could not appear in the court as he was not feeling well and sought the adjournment in the case.

Expressing annoyance over the episode, Justice Ahmad questioned whether he (Talal Chaudhry) would defend himself in the case. The judge also directed him to present the witnesses in his defence. Chaudhry said that he was unaware of the witnesses and his counsel would be in a better position to explain the matter in the court.

Chaudhry requested the court that his counsel was ill and he also had to attend the wedding of his niece and that was why he could not appear in the court.

He further submitted before the court that he was contesting elections and was already in hot waters and the hearing in the case should be deferred till the next general election. Justice Ahmed remarked that “the court has nothing to do with his troubles” and directed him to ensure the presence of his counsel and witnesses at the next hearing and adjourned the hearing till June 21.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also summoned the PEMRA general manager in the same case.

At the previous hearing, Chaudhry presented a list of 17 defence witnesses who included former state minister Marriyam Aurangzeb, Senator Musaddaq Malik, Ashiq Hussain Kirmani and a few other parliamentarians.

At the previous hearing, defence counsel Kamran Murtaza had requested the adjournment in the case for one-week so that the witnesses could be brought to the court for recording their statements.