ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry Monday requested the Supreme Court to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him in the contempt of court case.
A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Faisal Arab is hearing the contempt case against Talal Chaudhry.
During the hearing, Talal appeared in person and apprised the court that he had submitted his written reply to the show-cause notice. He requested the court to adjourn the proceedings till March 6, as his counsel was on leave. The court accepted his request and adjourned the proceedings.
In his reply to the show-cause notice, the minister said he respected the judiciary and could not even imagine of committing contempt of the court.
He said media had been presenting his statements out of the context. He said Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had also pointed out at various occasions that while reporting media often presents the statements out of the context.
He said he had been exercising his right of free speech and expression while remaining in the parameters set by the law and the constitution without any hunch of an action which may amount to the contempt of court.
Talal said he has always been at the forefront in struggle for the rule of law, independence of judiciary and supremacy of the constitution. He stated that he could not even think of scandalising the court or doing anything that tends to bring the court into hatred. “Whatever has been said might have been taken into account without relevance to the context due to media reporting. Needless to add, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has himself recently observed that speeches made by various persons are misconstrued and depicted in negative phraseology in order to sensationalise certain matters,” the reply stated.
Published in Daily Times, February 27th 2018.
