PPP leaders to answer contempt charges

SC fixes April 25 for Taj Haider, Sharjeel Memon to submit reply.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Friday directed Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh chapter’s secretary general Taj Haider and the party’s MPA Sharjeel Memon to submit their replies to contempt of court notices by April 25. The court also directed the Sindh government to compensate the families of the deceased (who lost lives during the strike) and point out the real perpetrators.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case against Taj Haider and Sharjeeel Memon.

The SC had issued contempt of court notices to the two for making remarks about the apex court’s verdict regarding disqualification of former Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Deedar Hussain Shah. The PPP leaders are alleged to have questioned the court’s judgment and issued a call for strike in Sindh.

During the hearing Justice Chaudhry observed that it was a matter of court’s dignity, nothing personal. He also observed that judgments are the property of the court and it would defend its judgments. “Fair criticism is welcome, but nobody would be allowed to abuse court’s judgments,” he observed.

Taj Haider and Sharjeel Mem­on appeared before the court and pleaded for two months time to submit their reply. However, the court declined the request and allowed them to submit the reply till April 25.

The chief justice observed that “the judgments may be criticised while remaining within limits”. He, however, added that nobody should cross limits while doing so.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd,  2011.