Supreme Court being maligned with audiotapes, says CJP

ISLAMABAD: “The Supreme Court is a constitutional institution, which is being maligned with audiotapes”, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked during hearing of former CCPO Lahore Ghulam Mehmood Dogar’s transfer case, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

“We will protect the constitutional institution with forgiving and restraint,” CJP Bandial said in the hearing. “These malicious audiotapes have no significance,” Justice Bandial further said.

“The election commission is a constitutional institution, and we will provide it protection,” CJP earlier said. “The election commission have mandate to conduct fair and transparent elections,” he further observed.

“We will only intervene when malicious intention found in conduct of free and fair elections,” Justice Bandial said.

It is to be mentioned that two purported audio leaks against a former CJP and an incumbent judge of the Supreme Court have recently surfaced.

An alleged audio of conversation between former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and PTI chairman Imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Tariq Raheem was leaked recently.

Justice (retired) Saqib Nisar said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ‘targeting’ judiciary for personal gains.

Saqib Nisar had said Maryam Nawaz wants to achieve ‘specific gains’ by creating political chaos in the country.

Meanwhile, another purported audiotape came to surface was related to a conversation of sitting judge of the apex court Mr. Justice Ali Akbar Mazahir Naqvi.