Contempt cases: SC serves show-cause notice on Daniyal

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Monday served a show cause notice on Federal Minister for Privatization Daniyal Aziz in a contempt of court case.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, heard the case. The court issued the show cause to Daniyal for giving a statement to a local daily on June 9, 2017 as well as his statements aired on two TV channels on December 15 and 31, 2017. The court observed that contempt of court by the minister could be construed after perusing transcripts of his speeches. The court appointed Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf as prosecutor and adjourned the proceedings until Friday.

On February 7, the court had granted Daniyal 10 days for engaging his counsel. Daniyal submitted before the court that the contempt notice did not mention why it was issued to him, to which Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said all would become clear, as no unnecessary thing had been mentioned in the notice. The court then directed him to engage his counsel in 10 days. A notice was also issued to the attorney general to appear before the court on February 19.

Meanwhile, a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, gave another week to Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry to submit reply in a contempt of court case.

Former president Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and counsel for Talal Chaudhry Kamran Murtaza requested the court to grant 10 days more for submitting a reply. The court however gave the counsel another week to do the needful.

On February 12, the court had given Talal Chaudhry a week for submitting his reply after he took the plea that his counsel Asma Jehangir had passed away. The court allowed him to engage a new counsel and adjourned the hearing till January 19.