Vawda, Kamal given contempt notices

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued contempt of court notices to independent Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-Pakistan MNA Mustafa Kamal over anti-judiciary rhetoric.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard the case.
During the hearing today, CJP Isa inquired from the AAG regarding whether he heard Vawda’s presser to which AAG responded that he heard some parts of the press conference.
The court then asked AGP if the content of Vawda’s presser was contemptuous. “If a case is pending in the court, then opinion can be given,” noted the CJP adding that “much more” was said against him.
The top court then issued notices to both leaders and asked them to appear before the bench at the next hearing.
The apex took suo moto notice of a press conference held by Senator Faisal Vawda who demanded evidence of interference in the judiciary.
During the presser on Wednesday, Senator Faisal Vawda critisised the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges. “15 days have passed but no details were shared by the IHC judges to support the claims of alleged interference,” the Senator said in response to the IHC judges’ letter, alleging interference in the judicial affairs by the security agencies.
“Accusing someone will not work, the evidence will have to be given in the court,” Fasisal Vawda said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The former federal minister asked the IHC judge Babar Sattar to bring evidence of interference and. He also demanded the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to interfere in this matter.
He was of the view that the country should be protected from external and internal conspiracies, adding that process of targeting state institutions should be stopped.
A day after Vawda’s presser, Kamal also addressed a press wherein he demanded the implementation of dual citizenship law across all institutions of the country. –Agencies