Two prosecution witnesses testify against Daniyal

Islamabad : The Supreme Court on Friday recorded statements of two prosecution witnesses in the contempt of court case against Privatisation Minister Daniyal Aziz.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel heard the case.

Additional Attorney General Waqar Rana produced the prosecution witnesses – Pemra DG Haji Adam Khan and a reporter of private TV channel Sajid Hussain Chaudhry.

Haji Adam informed the court that his role in Pemra was to monitor television programmes and presented parts of multiple video clips wherein Daniyal had commented on the judiciary and its decisions.

The video clips comprised the press conference held by Daniyal on September 8, 2017 at Press Information Department (PID) and a clip aired on Neo TV on December 15, 2017.

Ali Raz, the defence counsel, asked Haji Adam as to whether he verified the source of the clip, to which the witness responded that it was not his job. At this, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed asked if the learned counsel was trying to assert Daniyal was not in the video clip.

During the hearing, the TV channel reporter testified his report about the September 9, 2017 media talk published in the newspaper. He informed the court that his report was neither changed by an editor nor rebutted by the minister.

After the clip was played, Daniyal’s lawyer asked the reporter where in the clip Daniyal said the monitoring judge had the accountability references [against Sharifs and Dar] prepared.

The reporter however, said he could not confirm that as he covered economic reporting, not political events, adding that as Daniyal was the privatisation minister, he went the PID to cover his press conference.

Meanwhile, counsel for Daniyal requested the court to allow him for producing more evidence in support of his client, which the court accepted and adjourned further hearing until April 16.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo moto notice and issued contempt notice to Daniyal Aziz for contemptuous speeches against the apex court with special reference to the Panama case.

On March 13, the court had indicted Daniyal in the contempt case and Justice Mushir Alam, a member of the bench, had read out the charge-sheet to the accused who pleaded not guilty.

As per charge sheet, the federal minister obstructed the court proceedings, and brought hatred and scandal to the court in connection with three statements he delivered last year. “You committed contempt of court under Article 204 Section 3 of Contempt Ordinance 2003,” the court told Daniyal.