State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Wednesday submitted a list of 17 witnesses in defence of his stance and requested the apex court to grant one week to produce them for recording their statements.
The list contains names; a representative of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Senator Musadaq Malik, Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, MNA Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, MNA Shahbaz Babar, MNA Nadeem Abbas, senior banker Hassan Aurangzeb Abbasi, Transporters Association's president Israr Khan, ex-president of Faisalabad Bar Association Ali Abbas Khan, vice chairman Municipal Corporation Jaranwala Sheikh Habib, president Rickshaw Association Atta Muhammad, Councillor Municipal Corporation Jaranwala Imtiaz Khan, Abdul Sattar, Tanvir Hussain, Qadir Qaisar, and General Manager Operations Broadcast PEMRA Muhammad Tahir.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, and comprising Justice Tariq Masood and Justice Faisal Arab heard the contempt of court notice against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Talal Chaudhry.
Justice Gulzar told Talal's counsel to present witnesses on Thursday (today) as they cannot give long time and want to conclude the case soon.
Advocate Kamran Murtaza representing Talal, contended that they finalized the names of witnesses a day before and now need their consent as people feel frightened to appear before the courts.
He requested the bench that witnesses be summoned on payment of diet money and process fee in the interest of the justice. However, Justice Gulzar questioned what the witnesses would tell, and answered himself; "That Talal Chaudhry in his speeches had not criticized the superior courts and the judges." Justice Gulzar observed that the witnesses would tell the same things, which Talal Chaudhry had stated in the last hearing.
Justice Gulzar asked Talal's counsel to present his witnesses by May 24, adding; "Otherwise we will close the evidence and fix the matter for arguments." He said next week this bench will not be available.
On the request of Kamran Murtaza, the bench issued notice to the representative of PEMRA Muhammad Tahir to appear before the court for recording of statements and cross-examination along with the record of Talal's speeches made on January 24 & 27, 2018.
Talal Chaudhry on the last hearing (May 21) had recorded his statement under Section 342 of Code of Criminal Procedure. He requested the court to withdraw charge of contempt of court against him by not casting doubts on his intentions about the dignity of the court. He stated that he faces no allegation of prejudicing any matter pending before the court. He further stated that he honestly believed that he had neither uttered anything nor acted in a manner which might be construed as causing obstruction of the process of the court in any way, or that any order of the court had been disobeyed.
He contended that his Jan 24, 2018 press talk was edited with malafide intention and many of his sentences were removed from the actual substance to make it controversial. He stated that his January 27, 2018 speech was not against any of the judge. He contended that the video of his speech that was kept on record was also edited with mala fide intention to spoil the actual and original context of his speech.
Talal Chaudhry was indicted on March 15 on contempt of court charges. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice over Talal's alleged derogatory and contemptuous statements and speeches at PML-N public gatherings against the apex court.
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