SC strikes down another contempt petition against Nawaz, ministers

ISLAMABAD - The supreme court dismissed a slew of contempt of court petitions filed against the embattled former Premier Nawaz Sharif and federal ministers Daniyal Aziz and Khawaja Saad Rafique.

The apex court dismissed the petitions on Wednesday, filed by Sheikh Ahsanuddin, a member of the Justice and Democratic Party, against the Pakistan Muslime League - Nawaz bigwigs.

The petitioner pleaded that according to a media report Nawaz had said that the court's verdict was an insult to over 20 million citizens of the country, alleging that the PML-N leader had scandalised the court's verdict in his rally.

To this, Justice Nisar,observed that the limit might not have been crossed in the cited example but hastened to add that the limit might have been crossed on some other instance.

Scraping the petitions, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that the court did not consider the presented evidence contemptuous.

"Every individual has the right to comment on verdicts while staying within the legal parameters," observed the CJP.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/tallal-chaudhrys-indictment-in-contempt-case-postponed/

Defending his viewpoint, Ahsanuddin continued that the party, PML-N, had not secured the votes of 20 million citizens to which Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan responded that the court too, exercises patience.

"There is a limit to the court's patience," Ahsanuddin argued, however, Justice Ahsan stated that the court's level of patience was greater than that of the petitioner.

The contempt petitions' dismissal came a day after the top court dismissed few other petitions of same nature against Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, MNA Capt (retd) Safdar and former Senate chairman Nayyar Bukhari.

Justice Nisar had said on Tuesday that the Supreme Court was noting remarks being made regarding the judiciary at present and would take up those cases at an appropriate time.

"The remarks in question were directed at the joint investigation team and not the apex court," stated the top judge.

Contempt Cases Against Benazir Bhutto Dismissed

The contempt cases against late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Peoples Party's Iqbal Haider were also declared ineffective and disposed of.

The court had also wrapped up a petition against holding of dual offices —president of Pakistan and army chief — by Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.