Tycoon in trouble for comments on Iftikhar
14 Jun 2012 2:30 AM GMT
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday slapped a suo motu contempt case against a real estate tycoon at the centre of a corruption scandal involving Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry's son, viewing his remarks against the top judge as an attack to malign and ridicule the judiciary.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan took up the suo motu case against tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and issued a show cause notice asking him to explain why action should not taken against him. The bench summoned Hussain to personally appear in court on Thursday.
In a short order, the bench said Hussain's remarks at a news conference on Tuesday had ridiculed, scandalised, insulted and maligned the judiciary. The remarks were an attempt to spread hatred against judges and to undermine the authority of judiciary, the bench said. Such comments were tantamount to contempt of court, the bench said in its order.
The bench clubbed the suo motu case with a petition filed by a lawyer named Ashraf Gujjar, who asked the apex court to launch contempt of court proceedings against the tycoon.
Earlier in the day, an unscheduled meeting of the judges of the apex court took notice of allegations levelled against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry by the tycoon.
The meeting directed Registrar Faqir Hussain to obtain the record of Hussain's news conference and the transcript was later submitted to the bench headed by Justice Jan. Hussain, the founder of the Bahria Town real estate firm, had alleged that Iftikhar was aware of a scam involving his son for six months but had taken no action.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan took up the suo motu case against tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and issued a show cause notice asking him to explain why action should not taken against him. The bench summoned Hussain to personally appear in court on Thursday.
In a short order, the bench said Hussain's remarks at a news conference on Tuesday had ridiculed, scandalised, insulted and maligned the judiciary. The remarks were an attempt to spread hatred against judges and to undermine the authority of judiciary, the bench said. Such comments were tantamount to contempt of court, the bench said in its order.
The bench clubbed the suo motu case with a petition filed by a lawyer named Ashraf Gujjar, who asked the apex court to launch contempt of court proceedings against the tycoon.
Earlier in the day, an unscheduled meeting of the judges of the apex court took notice of allegations levelled against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry by the tycoon.
The meeting directed Registrar Faqir Hussain to obtain the record of Hussain's news conference and the transcript was later submitted to the bench headed by Justice Jan. Hussain, the founder of the Bahria Town real estate firm, had alleged that Iftikhar was aware of a scam involving his son for six months but had taken no action.
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