The Supreme Court on Thursday turned down a review petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Talal Chaudhry against his sentence awarded in the contempt of court case.
Talal Chaudhry’s review petition was taken up by a five-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Musheer Alam. The PML-N leader had challenged his disqualification in contempt of court case in the country’s top court, but his plea was rejected by a five-member bench of the apex court. Earlier on August 2 last year, a bench of Supreme Court had disqualified Talal Chaudhry as he was found guilty for contempt of court and was handed over a sentence till the rising of the court. The sentence by a three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed rendered Talal Chaudhry disqualified to hold public office for a period of five years.
Talal Chaudhry, during his speech at a PML-N rally in Jaranwala in January last year, had said, “There was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. Today, the judiciary, which is the country’s highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] judges.”
The then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of the contemptuous speech. The Supreme Court in March last year had indicted Chaudhry for making contemptuous and derogatory remarks against the judiciary. He was indicted under Article 204 of the country’s constitution, which provides for punishment of a person for contempt of court in accordance with the law.
