A five-member larger bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will resume hearing of various petitions against the new contempt of court law during the week commencing from Monday (tomorrow).
Some of the petitioners have contended that Section 3(i) of the new Act curtailed the power and jurisdiction of the court under Article 204(2) of the Constitution to punish 'any person' who abused, interfered with, or obstructed the process of the court in any way or disobeyed any order of the court. They pleaded that the law also violated Article 25 of the constitution which guaranteed equal protection to all. They pleaded that the law also violated the independence of the judiciary, guaranteed by Articles 2-A, 175 and 190, and its provisions may affect fundamental rights.
During the week, a SC bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain will resume the hearing of Tehrik-i-Istiqlal chief, Asghar Khan's petition. The petitioner has accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of bribing politicians in the 1990 general elections to prevent the victory of Pakistan People's Party. The same bench will resume the hearing of a petition on the law and order situation in Balochistan.
A total of three benches will hear important cases at the principal seat of the Supreme Court in Islamabad including bench-two of Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Sh. Azmat Saeed and bench-three of Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamai, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim. The Supreme Court directed Advocate on Record to appear before the court if the counsel of a case was unable to represent the petitioner, making it clear that no adjournment on any grounds will be granted.
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