ISLAMABAD - The alleged contemnor Iftikhar-ud-Din Thursday denied the charges regarding threatening and maligning the judiciary while the Supreme Court of Pakistan also declined his request to stay the contempt of court proceeding.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed conducted hearing of the suo motu case against Iftikhar-ud-Din Mirza. It was July 15 when the top court had indicted the alleged contemnor. However, his counsel Sarkar Abbas Advocate had sought time to present something in defence and file reply of the charges.
During the proceeding, the contemnor’s lawyer told the bench that they would defend the charges. Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan asked from the counsel that despite tendering unconditional apologies your client was denying the charges. Sarkar Abbas contended that on the basis of a video clip Iftikhar-ud-Din is being tried in two cases. The Chief Justice said that when four laws have been violated in the video then every department would come into action and try him under different laws.
Justice Ijaz said that Cyber Crime and Anti-Terrorist laws have no link with the contempt of court case. He added that Justice Qazi Faez Isa has been threatened in the video, which is criminal act. Trial, evidence and sentence of every offence are separate.
Justice Gulzar said that the trial court would decide the case according to the evidence submitted before it. The FIA official informed that millions of rupees are deposited and withdrawn from Iftikhar-ud-Din’s bank accounts. He said that they are tracing source of funding to Agha Iftikhar.
Iftikhar-ud-Din video clip hurled threat at Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and the judges of the Supreme Court.
Counter Terrorism Wing of Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) has registered case against Iftikhar-ud-Din under 7ATA read with Section 34/500/505/506 of Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, besides Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, on June 29, 2020. The FIA report said the accused Mirza Iftikhar-ud-Din and co-accused Akbar Ali were arrested on 30-06-2020. After physical remand they were sent to judicial lockup on 07-07-2020 and 10-07-2020 respectively. The Anti-Terrorism Court-I, Islamabad, on 16-07-2020 granted bail to co-accused Akbar Ali for being juvenile, but rejected the bail application of Mirza Iftikhar-ud-Din.
About the statement of Abdul Waheed Dogar, the report said that he is a professional journalist and mostly covers Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Law Enforcement Agencies and OGDC. Dogar admitted that he met Advisor to Prime Minister Mirza Shehzad Akbar only once after submitting application in Assets Recovery Unit. Dogar categorically denied any acquaintance with Mirza Iftikhar-ud-Din and stated that he came to know about Mirza Iftikhar when he saw his mischievous video on a WhatsApp group of Bol news channel.
Regarding statement of Shehzad Akbar, the FIA report mentioned that Advisor to PM Shehzad Akbar also joined the investigation and got recorded his statement. Shehzad Akbar told the FIA that neither he has any acquaintance with Mirza Iftikhar-ud-Din nor did he have any relation with this matter.