‘Disappearing MPAs’: SC summons transcript of Sana’s remarks

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will take up a contempt petition on Thursday (today) against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz for violating its order of July 1, 2022.

A two-member SC bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsen and Justice Munib Akhtar will hear the contempt petition, filed by Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi under Article 204 of the Constitution, read with sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003. On Wednesday, the apex court sought the text of Rana Sanaullah and Marriyum

Aurangzeb’s July 18 press conference in which the former had allegedly claimed making PTI lawmakers disappear before the upcoming chief minister’s election in Punjab.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Pervaiz Elahi’s lawyer Faisal Fareed urged the court to initiate contempt proceedings against Sanaullah, Aurangzeb and Attaullah Tarar. He contended that they had violated the July 1 Supreme Court order for holding “run-off polls” for the office of the Punjab CM on July 22 and during the interregnum period, “Hamza Shehbaz remain within the confines of the Constitution and the law without incidence of harassment of political opponents or witch-hunt.” The lawyer urged the court to fix the petition for hearing.

However, Justice Ahsan remarked that the petitioner was “merely quoting a newspaper clipping” and summoned a transcript of the press conference in court. The court observed that once the text was submitted, the case would be set for hearing. Also, Justice Munib asked the petitioner which words of Interior Minister Sanaullah showed contempt of court.

Faisal Fareed contended that in his press conference along with information minister, Rana Sanaullah had talked about disappearing the MPAs, recently elected in the by-elections.

When contacted, Faisal Fareed confirmed that text and transcript of the press conference of Rana Sanaullah and Marriyum Aurangzeb had been submitted before the court and the case had been fixed for Thursday.

In his petition, Ch Pervaiz Elahi had submitted that the election on 20 vacant seats had been held and the PTI, the allied party of the petitioner, had secured the requisite majority according to the unofficial results of the election held on July 17, 2022 and the petitioner and his allies were in a comfortable position to form the government in Punjab.

He informed the court that in pursuant to the order of the court, preparations for election of the chief minister of Punjab were under way without any hurdle. “The respondents, after losing majority in the house, have become unnerved and showing extreme anger and frustration,” Elahi submitted adding that Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was acting in reckless, unconstitutional and unlawful manner, and he had threatened to ‘disappear’ members belonging to the PTI and its allies.