News
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Scandalising and ridiculing judiciarySC issues show-cause notice to Malik Riaz
* Court directs Riaz to appear in person today and explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Taking suo motu notice of Malik Riaz’s June 12 press conference in which he levelled allegations against the chief justice of Pakistan, the Supreme Court issued show-cause notice to him on Wednesday.
The court directed the property tycoon to appear in the court in person on Thursday (today) and explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for ridiculing and scandalising the court. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and comprising Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim, took up the suo motu case.
Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan observed that prima facie, press conference of Malik Riaz amounted to contempt of court, and said it scandalised and brought the apex court and its judges into ridicule and lowered the authority of the court. He further said it showed disrespect for the judiciary and caused obstruction in administration of justice in cases pending against Riaz.
“We issue show-cause notice to Riaz Hussain Malik in terms of Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan read with Section 3 of Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003,” Justice Shakirullah noted. Earlier, an informal meeting of 12 Supreme Court judges was held on Wednesday morning in the chief justice’s chamber, which continued for one hour. During the meeting, the SC registrar was ordered to summon the record of the news conference. Justice Shakirullah read out the Urdu text of Malik Riaz’s press briefing and said the businessman had generally ridiculed the judges as well as judiciary as a whole and committed contempt of court. The court will take up the case today (Thursday).
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk