Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The upcoming Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday ruled out apprehensions being speculated in circles of media and politicians that he had brotherly terms with people in power.

“I swear nobody is a friend,” Justice Nisar said while reading out the Kalma in the court room. He negated all the apprehensions regarding good terms with ruling sections while citing a letter sent to him in his chamber on Monday morning. The letter, according to Justice Nisar, mentioned that a change in judiciary was coming in due course and the new chief justice had friendly relations with the people in power.

But denying all of that, Justice Saqib Nisar observed that no one was a friend and whoever came before the court he would be equally treated. The knowledge regarding such a letter was made during the hearing of contempt of court case against Din News Channel before a two judge bench headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

The news channel had aired a program highlighting an alleged meeting of one of the members of a larger bench hearing the Panamagate Case with Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Senator Nehal Hashmi. During the course of the hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar and Advocate Azhar Saddiq, counsels for Channel’s owner Mehmood Sadiq, Uzma Mehmood Sadiq, Mustafa Niyazi, newscasters Salman Khan, Rabiya Saleem and Director News Syed Iftikhar appeared before the bench and tendered an apology. Zafar and Azhar read out the apology letter respectively on behalf of their clients wherein profound regrets were expressed.

“We tender unconditional, unreserved and unconditional apologies and seek forgiveness, pardon and clemency from this Court. Without uttering a single word in defence, we bow and surrender before the Majesty and mercy of this Court and pray for forgiveness,” the apology letter read. They further said that PEMRA also took cognizance of the matter and imposed Rs1 million fine and suspended transmission for 30 days.

Barrister Zafar said that because of the gross negligence the news producer, production staff, news anchor and the entire news team connected with the subject news package have been placed under suspension and an internal inquiry has been initiated.

He further said that Director News Iftikhar Hussain Kazmi has been terminated and the entire remaining staff has been issued written warnings.

However, Justice Saqib Nisar observed that judiciary was the pillar of any state and to target the conduct of a judge maligns the judiciary. He further observed that he was surprised when he watched the program, and wondered why such a programme would be aired except to malign the judiciary.