The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday indicted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry in contempt case.
The three-judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan has given a charge sheet to Chaudhry, who denied to accept the contempt charges.
Earlier during the hearing, Kamran Murtaza, counsel for Chaudhry requested the bench to show restraint and consider the recent orders wherein the SC did not initiate contempt against Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif Saad Rafique etc.
He requested the bench to give time to file all those orders.He further stated that indictment will be big stigma for Chaudhry, who is a young parliamentarian.
However, the bench turned down his plea and observed that indictment is not a stigma as scores of people have been indicted. The bench later assured that if he is able to convince the court, he would not be convicted.
On March 8, the top court had decided to frame contempt charges against Chaudhry.
His counsel had claimed that the delay in being given the CD regarding Chaudhry’s alleged contemptuous speeches was the reason they had not been able to view it yet. “We will give a detailed reply after watching it,” Murtaza had told the court.
In reply, Justice Fazal had said that “whatever had to happen has already happened,” adding that they could add to their reply in the next hearing [March 14].
On February 1, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of Chaudhry’s ‘contemptuous speeches’ against the judiciary.
While addressing a public gathering in Jaranwala, the PML-N stalwart had said: “There was a time when the Kaabah was filled with idols and now the judiciary, the country’s highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.”
He went on to say, “Nawaz Sharif, throw them out, throw him out of the court. They will not give justice but will continue their injustices.”
Despite the unmatched services rendered by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif during his tenure as the prime minister, “they say that somebody else should become the prime minister”, he added.