IHC admits plea against Sharifs’ anti-judiciary rant

Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Pemra named as respondents

ISLAMABAD: A single bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has admitted for hearing a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz for their derogatory remarks against the judiciary.

Justice Aamer Farooq on Tuesday gave approval for hearing the petition which claims that Sharif and Maryam have been uttering, issuing and broadcasting statements, ridiculing the judiciary.

The petitioner, Adnan Iqbal, has made Sharif, Maryam and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) as respondents in the case.

He said since unveiling of the apex court’s July 28, 2017 verdict in Panama Papers case, the respondents had been issuing statements in violation of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003. He said the statements had been televised on the national media.

Such instances, according to the petitioner, not only bring the courts into hatred, ridicule and contempt, but also break the trust of the nation in one of the pillars of the state which may cause riots and turmoil.

He said Maryam also pointed the finger at the honesty and bravery of the top court bench that heard the Panama case.



“Pemra has failed to block the repeated broadcast of the speeches which implant and grow trust-deficit of the nation regarding judiciary,” he claimed.

The petitioner requested the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the respondents under section 3, 4 and 5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 read with article 204 of the Constitution.

He also prayed that the court stop the respondents from issuing such statements which tend to bring the courts into hatred, ridicule and contempt. He requested that Pemra might also be directed not to broadcast such type of statements.