IHC to hold contempt proceedings over social media campaign targeting Justice Babar Sattar

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to initiate contempt of court proceedings against “malicious campaign” being run against Justice Babar Sattar on social media, ARY News reported on Monday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the malicious campaign against the IHC judge will be considered contempt of court, and a bench may be formed to hear the case tomorrow.

The court also decided to convert Justice Babar Sattar’s letter into contempt of court case. The judge had written a letter to Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Amir Farooq regarding the social media campaign against him.

Justice Sattar is one of the six IHC judges who have complained of interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence apparatus.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) condemned the “malicious campaign” against Justice Babar Sattar on social media, as part of which confidential information and documents belonging to the judge were leaked online.

In a statement, the court stated that those behind the campaign against Justice Sattar not only leaked the travel documents of Sattar, his wife and his children but also accused him of hiding assets in both Pakistan and the US.

“As part of the malicious campaign, the confidential information has been posted and reposted on social media, including travel documents of the Hon’ble Judge, his wife and children,” the press release said.

“Justice Babar Sattar has never had any nationality other than that of Pakistan,” the IHC clarified, adding that while Sattar worked as a lawyer in New York and was granted a green card, “he left his job in the US in 2005 and returned to Pakistan and has lived and worked in Pakistan since then.”

The campaign also leaked details about properties declared in the judge’s tax returns, “accompanied by unlawful and malignant allegations”, the press release stated.

The court noted that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan thoroughly scrutinised Justice Sattar’s assets in Pakistan and the US before his appointment as a judge.