Contempt case: No relief for Talal Chaudhry in Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday rejected the PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry’s plea seeking adjournment of contempt case proceedings against him until 2018 general elections and asked him to appear before it on June 21.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, heard the contempt case. Shah Muhammad Jatoi advocate appeared before the court on behalf of Kamran Murtaza, counsel for Talal Chaudhry, and sought adjournment saying Murtaza was ill and could not appear before the court.

He further informed the court that the marriages of nephews of Kamran Murtaza were also scheduled and hence he could not appear before the court. Justice Gulzar Ahmed, however, observed that they had fixed the date for instant contempt proceedings with the consent of Kamran Murtaza but he did not appear before the court.

The judge observed that the case proceedings could not be adjourned, as a special bench had been constituted for hearing and two of the judges had especially come from Karachi. He asked Talal Chaudhry to produce his witnesses.

Muhammad Tahir, General Manager Operations Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and Talal Chaudhry’s witness, was also present in the courtroom. The court asked Talal to proceed but he said he could not proceed in the absence of his counsel.

“This is not possible, as it’s a very serious case against you and we have assembled here for a special case; therefore, we are not adjourning the matter,” Justice Gulzar Ahmed told Talal Chaudhry.

“I am going through a big process and contesting elections, hence I would request for adjourning the matter and taking up the case after the general elections”, Talal requested the court.

“Election is your business and it’s your own work; therefore, we cannot let the instant case to linger on,” Justice Gulzar told Talal and asked him to appear in the court on June 21 at 12 noon.

The court told Talal that if Kamran Murtaza was not available on the said date, he should then arrange a counsel to plead his case. The court also directed Talal that he may produce another witnesses in his defense and also directed Muhammad Tahir, General Manager Operations, Pemra, to ensure his presence on the next date of hearing.