Daily Times

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued a contempt of court notice to televangelist and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA-elect Aamir Liaquat Hussain for using abusive and derogatory language against the media and others.

“How can we let such people sit in parliament who lack manners to speak to others,” Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar remarked. “Those that can’t control their speech should not be allowed in parliament.”

As the hearing went underway, the top judge asked Liquat who he had referred to as “India’s son and father”. The MNA-elected replied that he had referred to the Indian prime minister and national security advisor in his statement. “You are lying, is this the statement you want to give in court?” the CJP remarked.

The PTI leader and his counsel claimed that the narrative was adopted after an Indian TV channel aired a show against Liaquat. The defence counsel sought time to respond and submit the transcript of the television programme in the court.

The CJP directed Liaquat to submit a reply to the show cause notice in 14 days.

On Wednesday, the top court slapped a Rs 20,000 fine on Liaquat for failing to appear before the apex court. Hearing the case, the Justice Nisar asked counsel for Liaquat why arrest warrant should not be issued for his client for failing to appear before the court.

During the hearing, Faisal Qureshi, the lawyer for the petitioners, argued that Liaquat had levelled false and baseless allegations on citizens and politicians in his programme on a private television programme.

Published in Daily Times, August 11^th 2018.