Contempt of court case against defence secretary: AGP given time to make preparations

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted time to Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) to make necessary preparations in relation to a contempt of court case against Secretary Defence Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik (Retd) for his failure to hold local government elections in all the 43 cantonment boards. The court had served him contempt notice for not fulfilling the commitment that he (Yasin Malik) had made before the apex court that the LG elections in cantonment board areas would be held on or before September 15, 2013, the bench remarked.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja resumed the hearing of the case. During the course of proceedings, the bench asked the Additional Attorney General about allegations levelled against Malik; to which, he replied that he has not fully prepared the case. He added that the case was in its primary stage and the court has not yet indicted Malik in the contempt of court case. He pleaded the court to give him time to prepare the case.
Expressing dismay over the AAG's reply, Justice Jawad S Khawaja said that Malik was indicted by the apex court in a contempt of court notice for his failure to fulfil his commitment of holding local government elections in all the 43 cantonment boards. Iftikhar Gilani, the counsel for Secretary Defence, apprised the court that his client is mentally depressed and very concerned about the matter, adding that he had 30 years' bright career. The AGP Salman Aslam Butt, appeared before the bench and pleaded to grant him time for the preparation of case. The court while accepting AGP's plea granted him time till September 10.