The Supreme Court has given Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Sharjeel Memon two days to hire a counsel to defend him against charges of contempt of court for calling a strike against its verdict on the disqualification of former chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Advocate General Sindh submitted Taj Haider’s reply before a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary constituted for hearing the contempt of court case against Haider and Memon for agitating against the Supreme Court verdict invalidating the appointment of Justice (retd) Syed Deedar Hussain Shah as chairman NAB. In his reply, Taj Haider reiterated his respect for the judiciary. He wrote that those who ridiculed the judiciary and disrespected the judges are roaming free. He stated that he is not guilty of any such act and has appeared before the court in compliance with its order. He has admitted that seven people died on March 11, the day of the protest. The call for the strike was given to protest peacefully against the verdict, he clarified.
Haider stated no notice was taken when PML-N committed contempt of court in the hijacking case or attacked the SC when their government was sent packing. Sharjeel Memon informed the court that he required more time to submit a reply since his counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada is out of the country. The chief justice observed that Pirzada had stated on the last hearing that Chief Minister Sindh had asked him to remain neutral in this case and assist the court. Memon requested the court to grant him one month to hire another lawyer because he is preparing the budget. “Are you the finance minister?” the chief justice asked Memon.”I have to help him,” he replied.
“You were inducted in the cabinet for fighting with the judiciary,” the chief justice observed in a lighter vein and granted him two days’ time for hiring a counsel. The hearing has been adjourned till May 27.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2011.
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