Saqib Nisar reacts to leaked audio call
Pakistan
The audio clip allegedly featured former CJP and PTI lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar has called his recently leaked audio an infringement to his privacy.
Talking to Dunya News, the ex-top judge said he had not committed anything wrong in the audio, adding: “I have opened a law firm and there is no restriction on me for giving a suggestion if someone seeks”. He called the audio a “stolen thing,” saying it had not value.
The audio clip purportedly featuring former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim surfaced online a day earlier amid hearing of high-profile cases related to elections at the Supreme Court.
Both can allegedly be heard talking about the the suo motu and contempt of court cases in more than one-minute long clip.
The audio surfaced at a juncture when judiciary and ruling coalition government are on a road to collision over snap elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As the Supreme Court is firm on its position for holding elections on May 14 in Punjab, the PDM government has showed much reluctance to avoid them as it is calling for simultaneous polls across the country.
After greetings, Mr Nisar can purportedly be heard asking the PTI lawyer to study a seven-judge bench’s 2012 ruling in suo motu case. He then asked him to refer this judgement to his lawyer who is handling the case but there is no hint about the case which is under discussion.
In reply, Khawaja Tariq Rahim replied he will study that judgment, adding he had found a way out while reading another ruling.
On which the ex-CJP replied, “Yes, I have also study it and that is the only way out we can use.”
At one point, the former top court can purportedly be heard asking the PTI leader to use the Munir Ahmad Khan case too, adding: “This is clearly a contempt of court case”.
Khawaja Tariq replied that they would file a contempt case.
