ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday recorded the statement of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (Pemra) general manager (operations) Muhammad Tahir in the contempt of court case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry.
Additional Attorney General, who is a prosecutor in the case, later cross examined the Pemra official.
A three-member bench comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Faisal Arab, also granted exemption to Talal Chaudhry from personal appearance at the next hearing scheduled for June 28.
Expressing dismay at the defence’s failure to produce 16 other witnesses, the court directed Chaudhry’s counsel Kamran Murtaza to ensure their presence on the next hearing.
In his statement, Pemra official Muhammad Tahir stated that no complaint had been received against Chaudhry by the Complaint Council of Pemra till May 22, 2018. He stated that the letter he wrote to Chaudhry in response to his query about any pending complaint against him in Pemra was based on the record presented to him by his staff.
To a question by the court, Tahir said, “I can’t say if the transcript of BOL and NEO TV channels on Talal’s speech is correct or not. This is the function of Pemra’s monitoring desk.”
On Justice Gulzar Ahmad’s question about other defence witnesses, Kamran Murtaza stated they remained unable to attend the hearing due to Eid break. Justice Gulzar Ahmad then noted that the court would decide the case on the next hearing, even if the defence witnesses were not produced.
Earlier, Talal Chaudhry requested the court to adjourn the hearing of the case until July 25, because he was contesting the election and his opponents were taking advantage of the case. Justice Gulzar Ahmad remarked, “You are a politician and are trained to grapple with multiple jobs at the same time, adding that work in this world never ends.”
However, the court exempted Chaudhry from personal appearance on the next hearing and adjourned the proceedings until June 28.
The PML-N leader is contesting the general election from NA-102 in Faisalabad.
Earlier on May 21, Chaudhry had recorded his statement under Section 342 of Code of Criminal Procedure. He requested the court to withdraw the contempt charge and to not cast doubts on his intentions about the dignity of the court.
He contended that his January 24, 2018, press talk was edited with malafide intention and many of his sentences were removed to make it seem controversial. He stated that his January 27, 2018, speech was not against any of the judges. He contended that the video of his speech that was kept on record was also edited with malafide to spoil the actual and original context of his speech.
Talal was indicted on March 15, 2018, after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of his allegedly derogatory and contemptuous statements and speeches at PML-N public gatherings.
Published in Daily Times, June 22nd 2018.