News
Friday, August 10, 2012
SC indicts Malik Riaz in contempt case* Attorney general asked to appear as prosecutor in case
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday indicted business tycoon Malik Riaz for contempt of court over a press conference on June 12 in which he allegedly ridiculed the judiciary.
A two-member bench, comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal and Justice Azmat Saeed, hearing the contempt of court case against Malik Riaz for ridiculing the judiciary has appointed Attorney General Irfan Qadir as prosecutor in the case. However, the AG objected that he did not see the words “scandalising the judiciary” in the indictment.
Objecting to the indictment, Dr Abdul Basit, counsel for Malik Riaz, denied the charges and said they were ‘ambiguous’ and that he did not understand them. He argued that the text of the charge sheet did not contain the words explaining that Riaz had used any contemptuous words against the judiciary. The counsel also asked the court to include the contemptuous words in the text that explain the charges against his client.
Ashraf Gujjar, a petitioner, remarked that the AG, instead of acting as the prosecutor and assisting the court, was acting like Riaz’s personal lawyer. The bench, however, said the court has all the relevant record that explains the contempt committed by the real estate tycoon.
Gujjar and Liaquat Qureshi, another petitioner, proposed that the recording of Riaz’s contemptuous press conference could also be merged with the text so that the charges become clear to Dr Basit.
During the proceedings, Dr Basit argued that his client had filed an intra-court appeal against the show-cause notice as at that time the Contempt of Court Act 2012 was in place. He said soon after filing of appeal, the contempt of court hearing was adjourned. He prayed the court to halt the proceedings until the appeal is heard. But the court dismissed his request.
Justice Afzal said, “The contempt of court law that was enacted has now been struck down and under the current law (Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003), the proceedings can be resumed.”
The court on June 13 issued a show-cause notice to Malik Riaz for scandalising and ridiculing the judiciary in a press conference relating to the Dr Arsalan case, where Riaz had claimed he had had several meetings with the CJP, and in some of the meetings the incumbent registrar of the Supreme Court and Dr Arsalan were also present.
After issuing notice to Malik Riaz over a petition of Ashraf Gujjar to place Malik’s name on the ECL, the bench adjourned hearing of the case until August 29.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk