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Monday, October 7, 2024

SC rejects PML-N’s Talal Chaudhry’s apology in contempt of court case

News Analysis |

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected Pakistan Muslim Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry’s apology in the contempt case. The Chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was heading the larger bench hearing the Intra court appeal in the contempt of court case against former minister of state Talal Ch.

The SC had indicted Talal Chaudhry on March 15 this year, for allegedly committing contempt of court. The bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan gave a charge sheet to Chaudhry, who denied the contempt allegations and pleaded not guilty. On May 23, the court declined Talal Chaudhry’s request seeking time to produce more witnesses in hearing of contempt case against him.

On August 2nd, Mr. Chaudhry was found guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment till the rising of the court, with fine of Rs 100, 000 under article 204 of the constitution. It is important to mention here that during his speech at PML-N’s rally in Jarranwala in February this year, Chaudhry had said: “There was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. Today, the judiciary, which is the country’s highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.”

The Chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was heading the larger bench hearing the Intra court appeal in the contempt of court case against former minister of state Talal Ch.

“Mian Nawaz Sharif, throw them out, throw him out of the court. They will not give justice but will continue their injustices,” Talal had said in the rally.

Read more: SC convicts Talal Chaudhary in contempt of court case

PML-N’s Anti-Judiciary in Post-Panama Gate Judgement Era

The SC has been under the verbal attack by the top leadership of PML-N since the Panama gate judgement against Sharif family.  Senior leaders of the party have also threatened the members of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and judges who gave the verdict.

The ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have also made several speeches against the judges of top court. The PML-N accused the superior judiciary of giving their decisions on some predetermined scripts. The court is alleged of political engineering to victimize the party.

The SC had indicted Talal Chaudhry on March 15 this year, for allegedly committing contempt of court. The bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan gave a charge sheet to Chaudhry, who denied the contempt allegations and pleaded not guilty.

Pakistan’s widely read English newspaper, Dawn, observed on March 13 that “following last year’s Panama Papers judgement in which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified, members of the ruling party, including [Daniyal] Aziz — on a number of occasions — had launched unprecedented verbal attacks on the country’s judiciary, accusing it of having different standards for the former prime minister than for his opponents”.

Read more: Talal vs Iqbal – who is right on Pakistan’s economy?

Many analysts in Pakistan suggest that Pakistan is going through a critical phase of its political journey; the civilian leadership is required to respect the state institutions. It is also argued that Pakistan’s democratic deficit is the result of various factors ranging from un-necessary military interventions in political process to self-centered political elite which never let the institutions get stronger, and independent of political influence. Politicization of institutions in Pakistan is one of the biggest reasons which do not allow institution to work on their constitutionally defined parameters. The judiciary at the moment intends to be independent of all sort of political influences, and this is something unacceptable for the forces of status quo in Pakistan.