A three-member special bench, comprising Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim, heard the contempt of court case against Malik Riaz Hussain.The court also rejected a plea for placing the name of Malik Riaz on the Exit Control List (ECL), saying that there was no need for it as he came from London on the court’s directive.

During the hearing, Malik Riaz sought 10 days for hiring a legal counsel in the contempt of court case against him, saying that he had contacted many senior lawyers but nobody was willing to represent him before the court.

Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan observed that hiring a legal counsel was the fundamental right of every accused. However, he asked Malik Riaz to hire his legal counsel in a week. The court also barred Malik Riaz from speaking to the media since the contempt of court proceedings were decided in the court.

Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Gujar, advocate, and former president Islamabad High Court Bar, who had moved a petition in the apex court on placing the name of Malik Riaz on the ECL, while appearing before the court, contended that Malik Riaz was continuously appearing in TV programmes despite the fact that a contempt of court case was pending before the apex court.

Malik Riaz, however, assured the court to comply with its orders.In his petition, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Gujar had sought the court orders to punish Riaz Hussain Malik by taking contempt of court action against him for abusing, scandalising, ridiculing and bringing disrespect, disrepute and hatred for the CJP and the apex court.

Meanwhile, when the court read the order in the case, Malik Riaz contended that he could not understand English upon which the court read out the order to him in Urdu.Later, the court adjourned the hearing till June 21