The Supreme Court of Pakistan has accepted the apology tendered by Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-P lawmaker Mustafa Kamal, resulting in the withdrawal of the contempt of court notice issued to them. Vawda had offered an unconditional apology to the apex court, while Kamal also sought an unconditional apology for his remarks against the judiciary.
According to the court’s order, both parliamentarians acknowledged that the words they used were inappropriate. Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa stated that they had withdrawn their statements and tendered an unconditional apology to the court. As a result, the show-cause notices issued to the politicians were withdrawn.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice played a pivotal role, emphasizing the freedom of speech in the Parliament as per Article 66 of the Constitution. He cautioned the lawmakers to be careful in the future when mentioning the judiciary, underscoring the importance of mutual respect and the potential harm of demeaning each other.
The court’s decision comes after it had issued contempt of court notices to both politicians following hard-hitting press conferences against the judiciary in May. The court expressed its expectations for the politicians to stand by their statements in the future, noting that further transgression may not be acceptable with a simple apology, thereby setting a hopeful tone for the future.
Furthermore, the court addressed the broadcast of the press conferences by television channels, emphasizing the need for channels to include whether the press conferences were preceded by advertisements and the revenue earned from them in their replies.
The acceptance of the apology and withdrawal of the contempt of court notices signifies a resolution in the matter, with the court emphasizing the importance of respecting the judiciary in public discourse while upholding the freedom of speech in the Parliament.
