SC summons man for hurling abuses at Isa, judiciary.

Byline: Nasir Iqbal

ISLAMABAD -- The SupAreme Court on Friday formally summoned Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza for hurling abuses at Justice Qazi Faez Isa as well as the institution of judiciary.

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan had taken up a suo motu case about a video clip containing derogatory, contemptuous and scandalous language against the institution of judiciary and judges, which went viral on social media.

Mirza was present on the premises of the Supreme Court but did not turn up inside the Courtroom No. 1 where the case was taken up. The court issued notices to Mirza, Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan and the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Mirza however remained tight-lipped and avoided queries by journalists at the end of court proceedings, who were eager to know who had edited the video clip and made it viral on social media and at whose behest he had made contemptuous statements.

Mirza is being represented by Advocate Sarkar Abbas.

At the outset of the hearing when the court regretted the state of affairs, the AG assured the apex court that whatever had happened was not at all acceptable to the government.

Formal proceedings under the Prevention of Election Crimes Act 2016 as well as Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) had already commenced, the AG said, The government was also considering including Section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 since Mirza had not only defamed a judge but also a former president, a former prime minister and two journalists, he added.

Section 6 of the ATA deals with the definition of terrorism by explaining that any threat if designed to coerce and intimidate or overawe government or public or a section of public or community or any threat for the purpose of advancing a religious, sectarian or ethnic cause, intimidating and terrorising public, social sectors, media persons, business fraternity is also an act of terrorism.

Section 500 of the PPC suggests punishment for defaming which may extend to two-year imprisonment with fine.

The chief justice however regretted that FIA had done nothing on the complaints earlier sent by some judges.

Justice Ahsan...