SC issues contempt of court notice to Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza for video threatening Justice Isa.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday rejected Rawalpindi-based cleric Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza's "unconditional apology" for making derogatory remarks and threats against Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other judges, issuing him a contempt of court notice and directing him to respond in seven days and to personally appear in the next hearing.

A day ago, Mirza had submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court, tendering an unconditional apology for "unintentionally" uttering some words against the honourable judges in a "private meeting".

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the case. During the hearing, Justice Ahsan questioned whether such language could be allowed and if an apology can be accepted in such a case.

The chief justice remarked that there was "no room for mercy" in the case while Justice Ahsan said that the video "was not made by a child but by Mirza himself".

The court further observed that Mirza had a YouTube channel and he earned money through it.

"Such curse words are not used even in the streets. Islamic scholars recorded such a video and then made it public. He [Mirza] accepted in front of the Federal Investigation Agency that he recorded the video in the presence of seven worshippers," Justice Ahsan said.

The judge pointed out that on the one hand Mirza had accepted his crime by submitting an apology but he still claimed he had not committed a crime.

Sarkar Abbas, Mirza's lawyer, said his client was a heart patient and should be forgiven to which the chief justice said he [Mirza] should have kept his "tongue in check".

The chief justice berated...