ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) issued on Friday contempt of court notices to Senator Faisal Vawda and Syed Mustafa Kamal over press conferences questioning the judiciary.
The case is being heard by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa including Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Irfan Saadat Khan.
The apex court took suo motu notice of the explosive press conference by the former federal minister in which he criticized the judiciary and asked Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Babar Sattar to present evidence supporting his allegations about spy agencies meddling in the judiciary.
The advocate on record is Additional Attorney General (AAG) Aamir Rehman.
At the outset of the hearing, 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 questioned 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.
Justice Isa also expressed concern about diminishing respect for institutions.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Vawda said it was about time for Justice Sattar to back up his claims about agencies’ meddling in judicial matters with solid evidence. He said a lack of proof raised several questions about the credibility of the judges’ allegations.
Justice Sattar was one of six IHC judges who, in March this year, accused the country’s intelligence agencies of using coercive tactics to pressure judges of Islamabad’s lower and high courts.
Later, in a letter to IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Sattar reportedly disclosed that a “top official” from the security establishment had threatened him to back off from scrutinizing surveillance procedures in an audio leaks case.
Vawda said if there was any evidence of interference in the judiciary, then it must be presented, as the court does not proceed without evidence or proof. “My reputation was tarnished, but now we will publicly disgrace those who want to tarnish the reputation of Pakistan. Stop targeting institutions—enough is enough,” he added.
Interestingly, the IHC registrar on Thursday issued a statement in response to Vawda’s queries.
The letter noted that the information sought by the IHC from a lawyer being considered for elevation or appointment as a judge does not include information regarding his residency or citizenship of any country other than Pakistan.
“Such residency/citizenship is not a disqualification for a judge under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973,” it said
The letter further noted that the conversations between a potential candidate for appointment as a judge or his interview with the IHC chief justice or senior puisne judge are not communications of which record is maintained and minutes taken.
Vawda, who was disqualified for having dual nationality at the time of the submission of his nomination papers ahead of the July 2018 general elections, asked in the Wednesday press conference why the restriction of renouncing one’s dual nationality applied only to politicians.
