Supreme Court accepts apologies of Faisal Vawda and Mustafa Kamal

The Supreme Court has disposed of the contempt of court case against MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal and Senator Faisal Vawda by accepting their apologies, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa withdrew the contempt of court notices issued to both leaders after conducting a hearing on Friday.

The CJP remarked that they will respect the court.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), a three-judge Supreme Court bench conducted the hearing of the case.

Both the politicians were issued show-cause notices under Article 204 of the Constitution, read with Contempt of the Court Ordinance (COCO) of 2003, for hurling apparently malicious allegations against the judiciary as well as judges and for speaking about matters that were sub judice before courts, including the Supreme Court.

During the hearing, the chief justice said, "You can stand up and speak in parliament under Article 66 of the Constitution, which guarantees free speech." 

CJP Isa advised both politicians to "be careful in the future" while discussing the judiciary. We respect you and hope that you respect us." The chief justice said that demeaning one another would hurt the public. 

The CJP informed Vawda and Kamal that Article 66 protects parliamentarians from speaking in Parliament but not outside of it.

 In June, the SC issued contempt notices to TV channels for broadcasting press conferences of Vawda and Kamal, wherein, they maligned the judiciary.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) filed the transcript of the press conferences along with the question and answer session.

It also filed the list of TV channels which broadcasted the press conferences. According to it, 34 TV channels aired the press conference of Faisal Vawda and 28 channels telecasted Kamal’s press conference held on May 16.

In May, the SC took suo motu on the news conference of Vawda in which he demanded ‘evidence’ of alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial matters. Addressing a press conference, the senator raised questions on the assertions made by IHC Judge Babar Sattar about interference in judicial matters.

Reporter Amanat Gishkori