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Contempt of court: SC bars Malik Riaz from giving statements to media
Justice Jan observes until the case is subjudice, Riaz should not give any statement to the media.
Justice Jan observes until the case is subjudice, Riaz should not give any statement to the media. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
ISLAMABAD: While hearing the contempt of court case against business tycoon Malik Riaz, the Supreme Court on Thursday barred him from giving any statements to media, Express News reported.
The Supreme Court had issued a contempt of court notice to Malik Riaz, saying that he “ridiculed the judiciary” in his press conference held on Tuesday.
Heading a three-member bench, Justice Shakirullah Jan observed that until the case is subjudice, Riaz should not give any statement to the media.
He left the Supreme Court premises without speaking to journalists.
The court directed Riaz to appoint a lawyer within seven days in the contempt of court case against him. The businessman asked for more time and said that he could not arrange for a lawyer before 10 days.
The bench adjourned the hearing till June 21.
A petition filed by Ashraf Gujjar was also being heard by the bench. The petition sought that Riaz should be placed on Exit Control List (ECL).
Disposing of the petition, Justice Jan observed that Riaz came to the court whenever he was summoned and his behaviour “does not indicate that he will run away.”
Riaz, on Tuesday, had held a press conference pertaining to the Arsalan Iftikhar case.
With a pocket-sized copy of the Holy Quran in his hand, he had hurled serious but contradictory charges against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and his son.
Riaz had also claimed that there was no free judiciary in the country, saying that it was being run by a ‘don’, namely Arsalan Iftikhar.
The business tycoon had posed three questions to the chief justice, while daring the court to call him for contempt or to send him to jail.
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Reader Comments (53)
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That’s it? I thought he would be jailed for this.
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In a country where most powerful person is frustrated and begging for justice and even ready to die, the rest of the population should see there future.
Now only God can lead us to the betterment, no CJ and no politician
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Why? Seems like our Supreme Court has something to hide…
Regards,
Rehan
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In a country where most powerful person is fristrated and begging for justice and even ready to die, the rest population can foresee their future.
Now only God can lead this nation to betterment, no chief justice an no politician
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no matter who he his, how corrupt he may be or what he’s saying .. he has the right to his opinion .. i’m not in favor of anyone but i would very much like to see freedom of speech! in hopes of “saving the judiciary” (as the issue has come to be now) i don’t want to see the fundamental right of a citizen being suppressed; it’s unaccepted sorry!
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Corrupt judges want to silence truth. Shame.
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Why the most high profile busssinesman of the country is begging for justice, even ready to accept death penalty, why?
Is there anything most dear to anybody than his life,
Do you have ever ever seen anybody putting his life for some worldly favour.
He is begging for justice and he is not getting it.
As far as Media people and politicians are concerned
sab charte sooraj ke pujari
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I thought the press was free and people have the right to speak out!
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“The Supreme Court had issued a contempt of court notice to Malik Riaz, saying that he “ridiculed the judiciary” in his press conference held on Tuesday.”
He ridiculed the judiciary! It is the complaint of the Juctice. Then Justice wants to judge the offender for “Contempt of Court”.
Is it an IMPARTIAL justice?
“the Supreme Court on Thursday BARRED him from giving any statements to media,”
Where is the Right of an individual of the freedom of speech??
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What about Arsalan? Is he free to speak to the media?
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Tycoon, businessmen, and powerful they are not above the law, they should set examples for the common people,citizens of Pakistan, If Mr. Riaz shows that he is powerful and not going to accept judiciary then why other people should accept the courts, does he want courts free state, and lawlessness in Pakistan?
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Is raising questions about CJ a contempt of court? If a person says he don’t trust judges, is it contempt?
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Can the court taste the Truth or is it too bitter.
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Good decisions by Juduiciary….Recommend
Any guess who will be Malik Riaz’s Lawyer? I think Aitazaz Ahsan…
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@Rehan: “Seems like our Supreme Court has something to hide…” ——– I’m afraid that’s exactly how it appears. Someone must let them know that facts have very adament nature, facts are too stubborn to disappear and gagging doesn’t help, truth becomes even more visible when hidden.
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It clearly means there is something fishy which SC wants to hide
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This is what “one way ticket” is
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@Rehan:
With a literacy rate of less than 40% in the country, I did not expect a better comment anyway. Just because a billionare has levelled (unproved) allegations against the CJ does not mean he can ridicule the Court. He has been booked for contempt of court, not contempt of the CJ.
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Malik Riaz want to buy or snatch justice as he has done in the case of property. He is cheat and plunderer. He purchased Generals, journalists, and administration. He has all money to purchase justice.He is playing for the government.
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We are not in 2007 anymore.
Where would the judges be if the People of Pakistan (the real fount of all power) had not supported them against an illegal dictator?Recommend
Good Decision by judges
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@Maher:
Who would you recommend instead, just out of interest?
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@Muhammad Ahsan Khan:
@salim:
Only a general of FC can hold a press conference while failing to appear in the SC. He addressed the press while the case is heard by the CJ and he gets away with that. For Riaz there is a gag order when the case has not even started. This is called justice PCO style.
Thanks for your truthful comments and regards,
Mirza
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@Anonymous:
Stop spreading lies just like your “most powerful person”!! He is getting justice and the nation has full confidence in it’s highest courts. You are the one along with your “most powerful person” who is telling half truths and trying to twist the facts.
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Some friends above have a hard time understanding law and constitution :
Firstly the case is in court so Malik Riaz had no right to do a press conference and hurl accusations directly at CJP.
Secondly, SC is not a politicians who go in public explaining their position. SC has a different status in constitution than politicians and other people so SC cant just go out and do press conferences like MR to explain their conduct.
SC has done the very right thing by stopping MR from giving press statements. One was expecting CJP to distance himself from Arsalan case, which he did so now people above who are questioning courts above better read law and wait for the outcome
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Lost my faith in CJ and other judges.
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OK, So AWSJ and LeT types can have the freedom of expression but not the ordinary citizen.
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Why? What happened to freedom of speech?
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Why not? If Riaz says something that the court doesn’t like, there can always be a contempt of court charge raised against him. Yes, Riaz has gone out of his way to pin heavy allegations against the top judge but that doesn’t mean the judiciary has the right to deny him the basic human right of freedom of speech!
I understand that Riaz may cause irreversible damage to the judiciary of Pakistan and this will in turn damage Pakistan herself but such dictatorial step from judiciary will probably harm us even more so.
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Did you guys noticed..everyone is lenient towards Malik Riaz including Supreme Court…. only few from PML(N), namely Ch. Nisar is criticizing him bluntly.
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another DRAMA…. sad
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@Anonymous:
We must be thankful to Almighty ALLAH that the most powerful person is being brought to justice by the supreme court
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Feeling ashamed after reading comments against judiciary. They can faith a dictator for a decade but not a respectable judge.
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There is a major difference between ‘Freedom of Speech’ and ‘Hate Speech’. If you ll not respect the Judiciary, Time will not respect you. Heading towards another dictator reign. jaisi Awaam Waisay Hukamraan.
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@Muhammad Ali:
Doesn’t make any difference…LOL
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It seems these days anyone who walks by SC gets a contempt notice.
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Somebody has fallen out of the principle of ‘divide and devour’, that is largely followed by the high-ups, otherwise all of this would not have come out in the public domain. Somebody must have demanded more than due. Currently, the people of Pakistan are unable to decide whether the PM was able to raise a more corrupt son or CJ did. It’s all too messy.
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@Awais Ch:
Justice? Where is justice? I don’t see Arsalan behind bars.
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@Mohammad:
May be he is not in his pay book . . . !!!!
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Malik Riaz has a very well written script by those in power and do not want the PM to be sent home. These powerful quarters do not want rule of law and wants to create anarchy.
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@Mazi:
Very lucrative judiciary, one has to say. Ask Arsalan.
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Pakistani SC and its judges are now practically running the country like a dictatorship…anyone who says anything against them is doomed…
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Which nation has full confidence in this judiciary. I think you mean PML-N, which is getting all type of relief.
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Don’t trust this Malik Riaz clown. He can buy any one … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeAOZYhU0n8&feature=player_embedded
May Allah have mercy on all of us. Ameen …
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Gag orders happen in dictatorships and martial laws of the 3rd world. They are no longer acceptable.
Trying to gag Malik Riaz only lends credibility to his claims that some thing is fishy and that the judges would like to cover it up aka mitti paao.Recommend
All this will go to vain, as go all the cases! Our attention is being diverted. Yes, give it a thought please!
All the people involved in this case are connected to each other, hence, sooner or later, this case will be closed without any fruitful “justice”!
I’d say again, the awaam is being distracted from something very important and crucial, of which only the higher officials know!
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All those criticising the gag order need to listen to the language used by Mr. Riaz and the drama that he wanted to create by waving copy of the Quran. The statements made in the press conference were also contrary to the submissions he had made to the court. If he was not stopped he would be holding a media trial of the judiciary on a daily basis.
This is a very measured response to his media provocation.
Both – Arsalan and Riaz – should be held in [separate] detention untill the end of the case.
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Judiciary is corrupt from top to bottom. It needs to start cleaning instead of hiding facts.
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@No gag orders: Yes, such gag orders are not and should not be take so lightly. Thinking people must protest otherwise this will become the first step towards complete subjugation and cowing of our society. No one is above the will of the people and we refuse to be anyone’s serfs or slaves.
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When PPP supporters used to say that the charges against BB and Nusrat Bhutto are bogus and they are not corrupt, these same rightwing elements would malign them. Now they are all staying with CJ and his high flying Govt employ son when the shoe is on the other foot. Poor Arsalan was just making money while employed by the Govt, so it is fine for Govt servants to make money from rich people? What else is called corruption? The PCO CJ has twice endorsed high treason and broken his oath of office, if that is not called wrongdoings then what are?
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Is that not a violation of Constitution and fundamental rights?!
The Supreme Court judges should immediately be tried under article 6 for high treason! Malik Riaz is exposing illegal activities not state secrets that he can be gagged!
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@Umer:
soon you will see… dont worry dude
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