Contempt case against PM: New AGP to advance arguments from 19th

KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the newly-appointed Attorney General for Pakistan, Irfan Qadir, to act as the prosecutor in contempt of court case against Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

A seven-member Supreme Court special bench led by Justice Nasirul Mulk has been hearing the case where Irfan Qadir appeared and made a pledge that he would only act in accordance with law.

At the outset of hearing, the bench inquired from former AGP Maulvi Anwarul Haq whether he felt comfortable to act as a prosecutor in the instant matter. Haq, however, requested the bench to relieve him as prosecutor after the appointment of Qadir as AGP.

He further told the bench that the newly-appointed AGP was competent enough to assist the court. Moreover, he added, he had briefed Qadir about the contempt matter.

During the course of hearing, Justice Nasirul Mulk observed that Maulvi Anwarul Haq was the prosecutor in the case, but Aitzaz Ahsan intervened and informed the bench that it was not the individual rather the Attorney General for Pakistan who was the prosecutor according to rules.

Justice Nasirul Mulk then remarked that premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had himself appointed his own prosecutor. He questioned whether or not such assertion was a violation of Article 10-A that pertained to a fair trial.

Later, Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry in his remarks said the AGP had been changed by a person against whom a contempt of court case was in process. He raised a question whether an accused should be permitted to appoint his own prosecutor.

Aitzaz informed the bench that until the issue in relation to appointment of prosecutor was not fully settled, he would not argue further.

Irfan Qadir sought time for preparations before he could assist the court in the instant matter. The bench directed Qadir to advance his arguments in the contempt case from Thursday (April 19).

The hearing was adjourned till April 16.