Former top judge faces contempt petition

Petitioner argues Iftikhar Chaudhry tried to influence the highest judicial office

ISLAMABAD: Former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is facing a contempt petition for writing a letter to Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali using the official letterhead of the Supreme Court.

The petitioner, Riaz Hanif Rahi, filed the contempt application under Section 3/5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance-2003 read with Article 204 of the constitution.



The petitioner stated that the former chief justice wrote a letter to Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on July 2, which was widely published in the media.

He said that the letter was addressed to Chief Justice Jamali having the logo of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The former chief justice in the letter attributed the word ‘justice’ for himself without adding the word ‘retired’, giving an impression that he is still part of the institution as a sitting judge.

The petitioner said that use of the Supreme Court logo for personal gain in a personal matter speaks volumes about the illegalities, and by using the logo and the term ‘justice’ for himself he has lowered the authority of the apex court.

Rahi mentioned that Justice (r) Iftikhar Chaudhry has invited the influence of the highest judicial office in an illegal manner for personal gain. He said the former chief justice in the letter stated that: “seeking remedy from the judicial forum would likely to create embarrassment for the whole institution”.



The petitioner said that the former chief justice has sought remedy against PTI Chairman Imran Khan which is pending for adjudication before the learned district and sessions judge, Islamabad.

The approach of the Justice (r) Iftikhar Chaudhry in getting undue privilege can further be ascertained from the fact that he is using an armoured vehicle, petrol, maintenance and additional security which is not admissible under the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2016.