ISLAMABAD, May 5: A contempt petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against some opposition leaders and legislators for “obstructing the process of the court” by staging protests outside the apex court during hearings of the reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Maulvi Iqbal Haider filed the petition against Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman, People’s Party Parliamentarians chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Pakistan Muslim League-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan.

The petition says that under Article 204 of the Constitution, the court has the powers to punish any person who abuses, interferes with or obstructs the process of the court in any way, scandalises the court or does anything which tends to bring the court or a judge of the court into hatred, ridicule or contempt or does anything which tends to prejudice the determination of a matter pending before the court.

It accuses the respondents of violating their oath by calling their party workers outside the Supreme Court building to put pressure on judges of the apex court. It also accuses them of violating Article 63 (1) (g) of the Constitution under which a person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as member of parliament, if he is propagating any opinion or acting in any manner prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan, morality or maintenance of public order or the integrity or independence of judiciary.

The petition alleges that the respondents have been creating disorder and acting against the security of Pakistan.