MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 27: Former Prime Minister and ruling People’s Party leader Barrister Sultan Mahmood denied before the full bench of AJK Supreme Court, here on Monday, having made any contemptuous remarks against the judiciary which, he said, he held in high esteem. On August 7, the AJK Supreme Court had directed Mr Mahmood to personally appear before it on August 27 to clarify his statement appeared in a section of press casting aspersions on the dignity of judiciary.

Apart from the former premier, a Mirpur-based owner of a public call office who had faxed the statement of the former premier allegedly containing “inappropriate and contemptuous” remarks to different newspapers also appeared before the court and tendered unconditional apology.

According to a handout by the apex court registrar, Mr Mahmood maintained that he had not issued any statement to media containing contemptuous remarks nor had he made any such comments at any public gathering as claimed by a section of media.

“I am a barrister at law and former prime minister and cannot even think of resorting to contempt of the judges or judiciary as I revere them from the core of my heart,” Mr Mahmood said.

He said he had already contradicted the remarks attributed to him at various functions in Mirpur and Kotli during the month of Ramzan.

Chief Justice Mohammad Azam Khan regretted that in Pakistan people who would profess to be respectful to the judiciary on the one hand would also hurl abuses on it on the other and ironically same was also happening in the AJK.

The court deferred proceedings in the case till October 3 but exempted Mr Mahmood from appearing in person.