Supreme Court Issues Contempt Notices to Vawda and Kamal for Criticizing Judiciary

English , Latest - تازہ ترین , / Friday, May 17th, 2024

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued contempt of court notices on Friday to Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal for their press conferences questioning the judiciary. The case was heard by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, with justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Irfan Saadat Khan.

The court took suo motu notice of Vawda’s press conference, where he criticized the judiciary and demanded evidence from Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Babar Sattar regarding his allegations about spy agencies interfering with the judiciary. Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman represented the government.

CJP Isa questioned the content of Vawda’s press conference and its potential to undermine institutional respect. He emphasized that while opinions on subjudice matters can be expressed, targeting the entire judiciary for the actions of a few is unacceptable. The Chief Justice highlighted his efforts to increase judicial transparency and reduce his own powers to promote accountability.

The court criticized Vawda and Kamal for opting to air their grievances through press conferences rather than parliamentary discussions, noting that personal attacks and baseless allegations are not constructive. The CJP stressed the importance of addressing mistakes and moving forward constructively.

The court adjourned the hearing to June 5 and requested video recordings and transcripts of the press conferences. Additionally, the court pointed out that discussions about judges’ conduct are not permissible, even in Parliament.

In a separate press conference, Vawda demanded Justice Sattar provide evidence to support his claims about agency interference, highlighting the need for proof to maintain judicial credibility. The IHC registrar responded to Vawda’s queries regarding Justice Sattar’s citizenship, stating that dual nationality is not a disqualification for judges under Pakistan’s Constitution.

The Supreme Court emphasized the need for evidence-based allegations and reiterated that baseless claims harm the judiciary’s integrity.