SC takes up Vawda, Kamal contempt matter, notices to channels today

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) will take up on Thursday (today) the matter of contempt case against Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-Pakistan Member National Assembly Mustafa Kamal for levelling allegations against the judiciary, commenting on judges of superior courts and speaking about sub judice matters.

A four-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and comprising Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan will hear the case.

On the last hearing held on June 28, the court had accepted unconditional apologies, tendered by independent Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-Pakistan MNA Mustafa Kamal in a contempt case regarding their press conferences. The court, however, issued show-cause notices to 26 TV channels as the court declared that their replies and explanation were found to be unjustifiable.

The court had also issued show-cause notices to other TV channels who had not submitted their replies to the show-cause notices earlier.

The court had directed that all 34 channels should submit their respective replies within two weeks, with the signatures of their owners as well the larger share-holders.