LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday dismissed for not being maintainable a writ petition seeking action under contempt of court law against Maryam Nawaz and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal for their alleged anti-judiciary speeches.

Dismissing the petition, Justice Shahid Karim observed if the Supreme Court had not taken any notice of the alleged scandalous speeches, how the high court could do so. The judge further clarified that speeches in public gatherings could not harm the respect of the judiciary.

A citizen, Sadaruddin Ahmad, had contended in his petition that Maryam Nawaz and Ahsan Iqbal had been using derogatory language against the Supreme Court in public meetings since the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said Maryam, daughter of Nawaz Sharif, in a number of speeches she delivered during the NA-120 by-election campaign accused the Supreme Court of hatching a conspiracy against the government of her father.

He said the interior minister at a press conference also used contemptuous language against the judiciary.

The petitioner pleaded that the act of the respondents amounted to scandalising and maligning the institution of judiciary, which required to be dealt strictly under the contempt of court law. He urged the court to initiate contempt proceedings against Maryam Nawaz and Ahsan Iqbal.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2017