SC to take up contempt petitions against Imran, Nawaz and Iftikhar Chaudhry

E-Paper | April 29, 2026

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday fixed separate contempt of court petitions against former premier Nawaz Sharif, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry for hearing on April 4.

Senior lawyer Naseer Ahmed Kayani has filed a petition against Imran Khan, accusing him of committing contempt of court by using derogatory language against former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Riaz Hanif Rahi — the lawyer who has challenged the appointment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court — has filed two separate contempt of court petitions against the former premier and Chaudhry. Both the applications are based on the provision of a bullet-proof vehicle to the judge-turned-politician.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, will hear the contempt petitions on April 4.

The Supreme Court also fixed a petition against the 19th Amendment and another for holding a referendum to have a consensus on Kalabagh Dam. The chief justice will hear both the petitions on April 2.

Earlier in March, the Supreme Court had rejected a petition seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Sharif for his alleged tirade against the judiciary during his GT Road journey to Lahore from Islamabad following his disqualification in the Panama Papers case.

A three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Nisar, had dismissed the petition with an observation that the court would like to exercise restraint, also stating that not enough material had been produced to initiate contempt proceedings, though Sharif might have crossed limits in his speeches.

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Pakistan

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Shan

Mar 30, 2018 01:31pm

Wow

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Skyhawk

Mar 30, 2018 02:08pm

The father-daughter duo has definitely crossed their limits. The nation sees them regularly almost every day insulting the judiciary and instigating the people for a rebellion against judiciary. If this is not contempt of court then please tell me what contempt of court is?

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zeeshan

Mar 30, 2018 03:05pm

This is shame when a disqualified and corrupt man along with his daughter insults other institutions on electronic media.

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Engr Dr Abdul Shakoor Khan

Mar 30, 2018 03:08pm

SC should be allowed to pay attention on improvement of performance in quality and quantity of lower courts, jails, "thanas" etc. There may be hundreds of thousands of people, some of them innocent jailed without trial. This "contempt of court" cases of politicians and ministers are not required at all. When there is no case left undecided about freedom of innocent people in jails in lower and higher courts, only then higher courts may be distracted towards cases like "contempt of court" by politicians and ministers.

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Punhabi

Mar 30, 2018 03:31pm

@zeeshan : its also a shame when few people derail whatever little stability our democratic system felt to have achieved. Its a shame also when the courts themselves have 1.8m cases pending and are trying to solve others administrative issues. Charity n accountability begins from home. I wish Arsalan Iftikhar case is also heard n the culprit punished as well as NLC n Lahore Palm Golf Course generals also punished. I wish to see that day to come.

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Kamran

Mar 30, 2018 03:39pm

One has to define what is a 'contempt' of court as it varies person to person.

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chymera

Mar 30, 2018 03:46pm

The SC sure has it's hands full dealing with these people. Who will hear the poor?

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Justice for all

Mar 30, 2018 03:46pm

@zeeshan It is shameful that a corrupt person, speaking lies ad infinitum, is guiding his daughter also to speak lies. Maryam should judge for herself whether she is speaking truth or not.

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Riaz Uddin

Mar 30, 2018 04:22pm

It is nothing but diversion of Court's attention and an effort to prolong and protract the corruption against those who are accusef. The points raised in petitions are all administrative matters and hence unjusticiable.

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Bhai

Mar 30, 2018 04:39pm

Most of Supreme Court’s time is spent on contempt cases while other cases of general public take years to be resolved.

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Amjad Durrani Engineer USA

Mar 30, 2018 04:53pm

@Engr Dr Abdul Shakoor Khan You are partially right as there are some 1.8 million cases belatedly remain without hearing in the courts. But on other hand, you are advocating that politicians and their cronies be allowed to use derogatory and unparliamentary language against an institution which is delivering by forcing government institutions, which have been totally bogged down due to nepotism, inefficiency and corruption, to solve comm0on man's problems of at least getting clean water and air, affordable education, and access to health facilities. The general public has welcomed this rightful intervention and supports the SC for its endeavor. Today if we do not put a stop to this outright mud slinging exercised by these political elites and their minions at roots, tomorrow emboldened by getting away, they may cross other undesirable boundaries. I for one support rule of law in the country and each one whatever his or her position or clout may be, should be disciplined once for all

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Khan

Mar 30, 2018 06:09pm

The charges of corruption were never proved.

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Syed

Mar 30, 2018 06:34pm

If all the three leaders do not follow the law of the land and ignore all court proceedings, then of course Pakistan is doomed. If they show disrespect to the court, then they are sending wrong message to the masses. They must face due process of law without fail..

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Akhtar

Mar 30, 2018 06:58pm

@zeeshan He may be disqualified but not corrupt.

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Athar Sherwani

Mar 30, 2018 07:36pm

@zeeshan Can you please tell us one case of corruption against NS even alleged in court. Allegation is very easy, proving is something else. You may have heard the old saying " Innocent till proven guilty". I am sure that you would like this saying if some allegation was made against you. Have a nice day.

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Hamza Janjua

Mar 30, 2018 08:01pm

I'm sure lawyers are excited since they are the ones making all the money.

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MONIER

Mar 30, 2018 08:04pm

Iftikhar Chaudhry is not a judge anymore. He is a judge turned politician now. Criticizing him now as a politician does not stand in any way as a contempt of court. Someone seems to have lost themselves on the vocabulary of the term called "contempt of court".

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sukhera

Mar 30, 2018 08:30pm

@zeeshan .FYI The former PM is disqualified for holding an Iqama of United Arab Emirates which is like a multiple visa according to the SC justice. He was never charged for any corruption, Can the SC.judges make an error in their judgement. Sure they can. They are human being like us..

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Mahmood Tariq

Mar 30, 2018 09:02pm

@sukhera the disqualification judgement again Nawaz is not just the few lines about the iqamah. It is considerably more complicated and thorough. Maybe stop being intellectually dishonest for once and read it for yourself?

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M. Afzal Riaz, MD

Mar 30, 2018 09:48pm

It is time that Pakistan and India settle dispute. Let us be real. Having Nuclear bombs on both side, war is NOT an option. Also, Kashmir will never have UN resolution adopted as Big Powers are with Indian. So, accept the present border as permanent. Do not support terrorism to achieve objective, Have Peace agreement. Make sure Water treaty is preserved. Move on with normal relations.

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Azad Insan

Mar 30, 2018 10:21pm

@Skyhawk: Freedom of speech

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Athar Sherwani

Mar 30, 2018 11:33pm

@Mahmood Tariq Some of us have not only read the infamous judgement but also have perused the 245 pages of Volume 1-9 of JIT Report ( Volume 10 has now been declared as irrelevant by prosecution). Star Witness Wajid Zia has now admitted that he has no evidence to provide against NS other than innuendo, surmising and speculation. In a normal court this case would have been thrown out at the outset. However, since this case is under the supervision of SC judge and NS has to prove his innocence rather than prosecution proving it's case, outcome is obvious. But is this justice or Spanish Inquisition! I leave it your intellectual values.

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Bin Adam

Mar 31, 2018 12:29am

Ex C.J. Chaudhry because of his daring and courageous stand against the then dictator invoked support and respect from majority within the country and abroad. But he lost the same after founding a Political party same as the nuclear scientist and many others. Because they were loved and respected for being clean and above the corruption and evils of present day dirty politics of the Country.

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Tariq, Lahore

Mar 31, 2018 12:46am

Our politicians have been/are too busy settling personal scores and have no time to take care of the government business/nation for what they were elected to perform. The current Judiciary is trying to steer them in the right direction but are being dragged into the political quagmire!

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Iqbal Ahmed

Mar 31, 2018 01:14am

@Engr Dr Abdul Shakoor Khan Absolutely right

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Iqbal Ahmed

Mar 31, 2018 01:15am

@Punhabi you are 100% right

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Iqbal Ahmed

Mar 31, 2018 01:21am

@sukhera you right , very week decision, without thinking of consequences, All the stability is shaken.

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Iqbal Ahmed

Mar 31, 2018 01:22am

@Athar Sherwani wonderful’ good answer

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AZAM AKBAR

Mar 31, 2018 03:08am

@Punhabi Your comment is related without any doubt to the one of the ground realities of Pakistan.

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Iqbal Ahmed

Mar 31, 2018 04:48am

@Skyhawk 70 years of Judiciary acts , judicial murder and protecting of Dictators and even recent decisions does not make sense. How long it will go on. One day some one has to stand up.

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Political connoisseur

Mar 31, 2018 06:21am

It seems like a Pandora Box for litigation on SC contempt is now opened. There are more important cases of national importance to complete first. The CJP may please see that the contempt cases are no help to nation. Hence please do not take any contempt case upto 3 months, first decide the other cases of importance.

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Farooq khan

Mar 31, 2018 06:29am

After the LHC has withdrawn contempt of court charges against defiant Multan bar association lawyer who disrespected judges, vandalised and damaged court rooms, it is mockery to initiate frivolous contempt of court charges on national political leaders.

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shahid

Mar 31, 2018 08:26am

@Amjad Durrani Engineer USA i agree with you as these people are the root cause of the miseries which the poor people this country are suffering,They trying to present themselves that they did nothing wrong. If these people are punished and their ill gotten money is confiscated the country financial position would be become stroger

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Truth is truth

Mar 31, 2018 08:55am

@Akhtar : Right you are. So far not a single case of corruption has been filed against the ex premier, let alone proved corruption.

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Khawaja

Mar 31, 2018 03:05pm

Who has crossed all limits, everyone knows, but why nothing is being done?

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karamat

Apr 01, 2018 12:39am

@Khan no money trail = corruption

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