SC asked to summon and prosecute Shoaib Shaheen, Raoof Hasan under Article 204

Source: The Nation

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has been asked to summon and prosecute Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders including Shoaib Shaheen and Raoof Hasan under Article 204 of the Constitution and Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003. In this connection, Advocate Mian Dawood Tuesday filed a contempt petition against Shoaib and Raoof, saying both of them are continuously scandalizing and ridiculing Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Aamir Farooq and others in an organized campaign on social media, electronic media and on print media in order to spread the disappointment in people regarding their trust in judiciary.

He stated that the right to freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed under Article 19 of the constitution admittedly is not absolute, unlimited or unfettered but subject to reasonable restriction imposed by the constitution and Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 and one such restriction so imposed is in relation to the contempt of court. The petitioner said that the Supreme Court while interpreting Article 19 and 204 have put restrictions on every citizen by observing that every citizen should not violate the law while exercising his fundamental rights of freedom of speech. Dawood submitted that both the PTI leaders scandalise and ridicule the judiciary when they do not get decisions in their favour from the courts. It is a matter of record that whenever any court gives a decision against the PTI in any case, the official media accounts of the PTI and its leader start threatening campaigns against that judge or court by way of discussing their conduct, personal lives.

He added that such campaigns are deliberate moves as it continues for more than for the last two years against the judiciary as an institution and against the judges. He submitted that a contempt case against Imran Khan has been pending since May 2022 in the Supreme Court. The petitioner maintained that the inaction against the contemnors like Imran Khan by the Supreme Court gives an impression to the public that the PTI leaders have been given licence to ridicule and scandalize the judges and the superior courts. The petitioner has attached the TV talk shows, press conferences or social media to show the mindset of the contemnors against the judiciary. The transcripts show that the contemnors are acting in manner to prejudice the integrity and independence of the judiciary as whole as they are using derogatory and defamatory remarks continuously in the public media platforms. Dawood said that it is the duty of the court to maintain and strengthen the confidence of the public in general and the litigants in the court and to vindicate the honour and dignity of the court to ensure the administration of justice is not diminished or weakened.

He said that the gist of the press conferences, talk shows of the contemnors as mentioned in transcripts is prejudicial to the integrity and independence of the judiciary of Pakistan and surely detrimental to the safe administration of justice, besides tending to bring the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court and their judges into disrespect, defame and ridicule.