Contempt of court: SC tells Danyal’s lawyer not to use delaying tactics

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday rejected plea of Minister for Privatisation Danyal Aziz seeking summoning of Director General (Monitoring ) of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) as a witness. The court, however, summoned a producer of Dawn TV by April 24.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel heard contempt of court case against Aziz.

Ali Raza, counsel for Danyal Aziz, submitted before the court that that he has filed an application praying the court to summon Haji Adam Khan, the director general of Pemra and Kahif Jabbar, executive producer of Dawn TV, who had run the video clip of his client. The court noted that Director General Pemra Haji Adam Khan has already appeared before the court and the defesne counsel had crossed-examined him as well.

The cousel for Danya Aziz contended that the prosecution witness did not providethe substance which they had acquired. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the time of the court will be wasted in repeatedly summoning the witness adding that the learned counsel for defense should not use delaying tactics. If they come clean, they will have benefit, he said.

The defense counsel submitted that they want to verify the clip which was telecasted on the Dawn TV adding that they want to know as to whether the video clip was in original form. The learned counsel further contended that he doesn’t have the original video of the said clip, hence he wants to know as to whether the video was edited one or not.

“Whether the video which I have been charged for contempt is in original form or not,” Ali Raza questioned. Additional Attorney General Waqar Rana, who is the prosecutor in the case submitted that defense witness is irrelevant saying there is no issue of editing before the court.

The court asked counsel for defense to summon his witness personally. During the hearing, Ali Raza also presented before the court a CD of news conference of Javed Hashmi. The court asked about relevance of the CD with the instant case to which the counsel said that the statement given by Danyal Aziz is the same statement that had already given by Javed Hashmi The court declared the CD of Javed Hashmi as irrelevant to the instant case. Later, the court adjourned further hearing until April 24.