Top court moved to seek contempt proceedings against cleric Khadim Rizvi

Petitioner says TLP leaders disparaged the court in their address following the Aasia Bibi verdict

A petitioner has approached the top court, seeking a contempt of court notice against TLP chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi and party's leader Pir Afzal Qadri.

In his petition on Tuesday, the applicant asked if the two leaders had got some sort of license to desecrate the court. "Do they have any permission to use inappropriate words against the court," barrister Masroor Shah said.

He went on to as, "shouldn't all citizens be faithful to the state in accordance with the Constitution."



Shah pointed out that the aforementioned leaders disparaged the court in their address to their supporters following the verdict of the top court in the Aasia Bibi case.

Peace protest, he added, is everyone's right in a democratic society, but no one has the right to paralyse the lives of other citizens under the garb of protest.

"Didn't the foul language used by the two leaders during the protests account for contempt of court," he asked.



The petitioner asked the court to began proceedings, relating to contempt, against the two leaders, and take them to task.

The TLP chief and dozens of party leaders were arrested by police last week in a raid on his residence in Lahore.

Rizvi-led TLP had called of its countrywide protest sit-ins following reaching of an agreement with the federal and Punjab governments. On October 30, nationwide protests erupted against the acquittal of blasphemy accused Aasia Bibi, by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.