Justice Minallah denies seeking contempt proceedings against Vawda, Kamal

Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Justice Athar Minallah has written a letter to the Supreme Court Registrar to clarify his position regarding the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Faisal Vawda and Mustafa Kamal.

Justice Athar Minallah emphasised that he did not request such proceedings over their press conferences against him.

"This is with reference to the subject suo moto contempt proceedings initiated on the basis of a note of the Registrar placed before the Chief Justice of Pakistan," Justice Minallah wrote.

"It has come to my notice that an impression is being given that the aforementioned proceedings were initiated on my complaint. He stated that neither any complaint was filed by me nor was I in any manner consulted in this regard."

Justice Minallah highlighted his consistent stance on contempt proceedings, referring to his jurisprudence from his tenure at the High Court.

"I have confronted the challenges of malicious campaigns, intrusions in my privacy, fake allegations and imputation of motives on account of my verdicts since 2017. As a judge I had realised that such vilification campaigns were associated with the nature of performing our constitutional duty in a polarised society having a fragile rule of law."

He stated that he has never responded to or been influenced by such campaigns, regardless of their harshness or falsity. "My views are manifest from my jurisprudence laid down while serving in the High Court," he added.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori