ISLAMABAD: Agha Iftikharud Din Mirza, alleged contemnor, on Wednesday tendered his "sincere apology" and sought mercy of the Supreme Court for hurling threats at Justice Qazi Faez Isa and maligning the judiciary.
Sarkar Abbas, on behalf of the alleged contemnor, filed a reply to a show-cause notice of contempt of court.
She requested the court to accept his apology of the alleged contemnor, and he may be exonerated/acquitted from the charge of contemptuous remarks for the Supreme Court and the judges.
The Supreme Court on July 2nd had issued a show-cause notice to alleged contemnor Mirza Iftikharud Din under Article 204 read with Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003 with the direction to file a reply within two weeks.
Sarkar Abbas submitted that Iftikharud Din is a religious leader, pesh-e-imam since 1991 at a mosque and Imambargah at Morgah, Rawalpindi.
He usually, as a matter of routine after Maghrib prayer, discusses current affairs with his pupils.
On 14th June 2020 during the discussion some remarks regarding the judges and prestigious institution of judiciary out his mouth. As soon as he realised his mistake, he approached the Supreme Court on 26-06-2020 to surrender himself and tender an apology, but he was not allowed to enter the courtroom although an entry card was issued to him, said the reply. On 29th June 2020 the alleged contemnor himself joined the investigation wherein he was detained and an FIR was registered against him. As per recording and uploading of video clip on social media is concerned, he has given his complete version and details during investigation to the investigation officer. She stated that Iftikharud Din is 67-year-old, and a chronic cardiac patient. His main arteries are blocked and his doctors have advised him open heart surgery.
He is also suffering with hypertension and other co-related diseases and is under regular medication, which sometimes badly affects his mental health, resultantly sometimes makes him hyper, irrational, irritating and frustrating.
In the reply, the alleged contemnor tendered a sincere apology and left himself at the mercy of the Court with the hopes that while deciding the case it may consider the mitigating circumstances relating to his health and age.
He gave an undertaking not to repeat any such like act in future.
The Counter Terrorism Wing of Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) has registered a case against Iftikharud Din under 7ATA read with Section 34/500/505/506 of Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, besides Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, on June 29, 2020.
Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan said in the instance case there is admission by the contemnor.
"If we see the transcript, it reflects that this is not spur of [the] moment statement. It is very well crafted and video made professionally as photographs of two journalists, and two prominent politicians - one former president and other of ex-PM -[were] shown in the video," he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020