ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Minister of State for Interior and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry, directing him to furnish his reply within a week as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for his contemptuous remarks and speeches against the judiciary. A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Faisal Arab heard the contempt of court case against Talal Chaudhry. Appearing on notice, Talal Chaudhry requested the court to grant him three-week time to engage a lawyer. “Why you have not sought adjournment of the matter for three months or three years?” Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan asked. Talal stated that lawyers were busy with cases thus he could not arrange his counsel. The court then granted him seven days to engage a counsel and adjourned the hearing till February 13. Talal was accompanied by party’s senior leaders including Senator Pervaiz Rasheed and State Minister Dr Tariq Fazl Chaudhry. Earlier on Feb 1, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of Talal Chaudhry’s ‘anti-judiciary’ speeches and issued him a contempt of court notice. “You have made derogatory and contemptuous speeches and statements at public gatherings telecast by different TV channels, which prima facie constitute interference with and obstruction of the process of the court as well as aimed at belittling the stature of this apex court within the contemplation of Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, read with Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003,” the contempt notice had stated.
Published in Daily Times, February 7th 2018.
