Pak Supreme Court takes suo motto notice of Ministers adverse comments

Pakistans Supreme Court has taken a suo motto notice of remarks made by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Sher Afgan Khan Niazi, about the judiciary.

Islamabad, Aug.24 : Pakistan's Supreme Court has taken a suo motto notice of remarks made by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Sher Afgan Khan Niazi, about the judiciary.

The court will conduct a hearing of the notice today. Niazi had passed the objectionable remarks about court's verdict in Sharif brothers' case during the Geo News program " Capital Talk".

He said that he would not accept the Supreme Court's (SC) "biased" verdict on the petitions of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif.

The Supreme Court had become a party in the case and the verdict may compel the government to impose an emergency in the country, Niazi told Geo News.

He said that the apex court was heading towards confrontation with the government, which the President and the government did not want.

"We accepted judicial independence, but it is going to end its freedom itself," NIazi was quoted, as saying.

The judiciary is one of the four organs of the state and must work in harmony with the other institutions instead of intervening in their affairs, he added.

Niazi also said that any contempt proceedings on his remarks would be a personal malice of the judges.

He claimed that the Supreme Court had not given the government lawyers time to present their arguments and that was why he was opposed to the verdict.

The Supreme Court has become a party and Chief JusticeChaudhry should form a 'Justice Party' and contest the elections, Niazi said.

He said that Nawaz and Shahbaz would be arrested on their return because cases were pending against them.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Wasi Zafar said that the government would accept the Supreme Court's decision with "an open heart".

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid said the government's stand in the case was weak and the Supreme Court had made the right decision.

"The next two weeks are crucial and anything can happen," he said, but ruled out martial law or imposition of an emergency.

ANI