SC dissatisfied with Maulvi Mirza's apology following his derogatory remarks against Justice Isa

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the unconditional apology submitted by Maulvi Agha Iftikhar Uddin Mirza, days after the court issued him a notice for using derogatory language against SC judge Qazi Faez Isa.

The two-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has made the decision to initiate contempt proceedings against Maulvi Agha Mirza.

The bench issued a show-cause notice as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him. The court asked him to submit a reply within one week.

Kabir Hashmi also advocate appeared before the bench and requested to place the letter of Justice Isa's wife before the bench.

However, the bench refused and said that it should be filed through registrar office, which is the correct way.

During the hearing, Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked whether Maulvi Mirza's language falls under civilized language. "This language is not even used in the streets," he added.

The bench also questioned the varsity of affidavit submitted by Mirza. 

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan maintained that Mirza tried to destroy the reputation of the judiciary. 

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director-General Wajid Zaid also appeared before the bench. 

Mirza's counsel requested the bench to accept his unconditional apology as he is a heart patient. The chief justice responded, "if he is a heart patient, he should have held his tongue". 

Late last month, the apex court issued a notice to Maulvi Agha Iftikhar Uddin Mirza - a man who in a video clip used derogatory language against Judge Qazi Faez Isa.

CJP Gulzar Ahmed took suo motu notice of the footage doing rounds on social media a day after Justice Isa's wife Sarina Isa filed an application at Islamabad's Secretariat Police Station to register a first information report (FIR).

Sarina had complained that her husband had received a death threat via a video in which the intimidator - Maulvi Mirza - could be heard saying: "Isa should be shot publicly."

"Whoever is caught in embezzlement, whether it be Faez Isa or anyone else, should be executed through a firing squad. Those who indulge in such activities must be hanged and the entire city should be invited to watch it," the person in the video said.

"People should be asked to come to Fawara Chowk [in Rawalpindi] to see someone being hanged," he added.