STATE Versus MUHAMMAD AKRAM SHEIKH, ADVOCATE

ORDER

Muhammad Akram Sheikh, respondent, present in person admits to have made statement (Mark 'A/1') published in daily Nawa‑i‑Waqt on 17‑3‑1995. He, however, has disputed the correctness of the statement (Mark 'A') attributed to him published in daily Jang dated 20‑11‑1994. After going through the aforesaid statements of the respondent and the written reply filed by him today, it appears to us that there are sufficient grounds for believing that he has committed contempt of Court and it is necessary in the interest of effective administration of justice to proceed against him under the Contempt of Court Act, 1976.

2. The substance of charges against him firstly is that he on 20‑11‑1994, while commenting on the decision of this Court given in Sabir Shah's case stated:‑‑ which not only tends to scandalizing the Judges of this Court in relation to their office but is also calculated to impair public confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of this Court and its Judges which constitutes contempt of gravest kind.

Secondly, he on 17‑3‑1995, while expressing his opinion in the newspaper on contempt proceedings pending in this Court stated that:‑‑

This statement tends to interfere with, obstruct and prejudice the process of law or the due course of the judicial proceedings i.e., contempt of Court proceedings pending in this Court, and constitutes naked contempt.

3. The accused is present in the Court. He has been informed of the grounds on which he is charged with the contempt of Court. He is called upon to show‑ cause why he should not be punished under section 4 of the Contempt of Court Act, 1976, on two counts 4. At this stage, learned counsel for the respondent states that he was not supplied with a copy of the Press Notes, subject‑matter of the contempt proceedings, so he was not in a position to submit proper reply of the show -cause notice issued by the Court. He contended that now he has come to know of the allegations against him. He will file supplementary written statement for which reasonable time may be given to him. To enable him to do so, the hearing of the proceedings is adjourned for a date immediately after summer vacations.

N:H.Q./S‑990/S Show‑cause notice given.