ISLAMABAD: A petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique was filed at the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday.
Petitioner Owais Younas contended that the minister publicly criticised the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in which the Apex court had disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declaring him honest.
He submitted that following the announcement of the verdict Rafique had held a press conference in which he targeted the top judiciary and accused them of conspiring against Sharif.
Younas, who is a former Lahore chapter president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said that the Railways Minister had stated in the press conference that the judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) introduced by military dictators also no longer remained sadiq and amin. He said the news conference was aimed to defaming the Apex court and this was tantamount to contempt of court.
Verdict reserved: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a petition filed by a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member, seeking directives for the administration to stop former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s towards Lahore on Wednesday (today).
After hearing arguments of the petitioner’s lawyer, Justice Aamer Farooq asked under what law could the court stop the rally. He observed that a major part of the rally would take place beyond the court’s jurisdiction, in the Punjab province.
Published in Daily Times, August 9th 2017.
