SC dismisses pleas against PCO judges case bench

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed further objections filed against the bench hearing the case regarding contempt of court notices to PCO judges, Geo News reported Monday.

Justice MA Shahid Siddiqui, who is heading the four-member bench, said the matter relating PCO judges is not personal in nature; instead, it relates to sanctity of an institution.

The SC bench resumed today the proceedings of the contempt of court cases against the PCO judges, who had violated the November 3, 2007 judgement and taken oath under the PCO.

Earlier on Saturday, former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar challenged the presence of two judges on the Supreme Court bench constituted to hear contempt charges against him and other superior court judges. He said the two judges had been appointed on his recommendation.

The counsel of Justice Shabar Raza Rizvi and Justice Hasnat, Dr Abdul Basit said, “If the hearing continues, intra-court pleas would go ineffective.” On this, the court discharged the plea pleading to stop hearing of the contempt case on the basis of intra-court appeal.

The four-strong SC bench comprises Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez. The bench heard contempt charges against Justice Dogar and other judges for taking oath under the PCO in defiance of a restraining order issued by a seven-judge bench on November 3, 2007.

Justice Shahid Siddiqui remarked that a line was drawn on November 3rd; on one side were judges who abided by the Constitution and on the other were those who complied with a dictator.

Then, court heard objections filed against three of its bench members and dismissed them. The court will resume the proceedings tomorrow.