IHC benches to hear judges’ defamation cases

Justices Kayani and Sattar complained about online smear campaigns against them

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court has formed two larger benches for contempt proceedings to separately hear the matters of its Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Babar Sattar, who had penned letters to its chief justice seeking action against those running smear campaigns on social media against them.

A three-judge larger bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir will hear the case of Justice Kayani.

Justices Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan will be part of the bench for the contempt proceedings on Justice Sattar's letter.

The cause list of the two cases for contempt of court proceedings on the social media campaigns against the IHC judges will be issued and scheduled for hearing.
Recently, Justice Sattar had penned a letter to the high court’s chief justice, informing him about a malicious social media campaign targeting him.

Read IHC takes action against smear campaigners

On April 28, the IHC issued a statement denouncing the online campaign against Justice Sattar as “false and malicious”.

The court emphasised that the judge had solely held Pakistani nationality throughout his life.

On Monday, the court decided to elevate the matter from a mere letter to formal contempt of court proceedings against those maligning the judge.

A day later, Justice Kayani, the senior-most IHC judge after the chief justice, also sought contempt proceedings over a complaint filed against him and his defamation on social media.