On Monday, Jawad S. Khawaja, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, decisively lodged a contempt of court petition targeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Supreme Court.
This astute petition revolves around the urgent matter of ensuring the right to appeal within 45 days for those sentenced by military courts.
The petition, meticulously submitted by the adept Khawaja Ahmed Hussain on behalf of Jawad S. Khawaja, underscores the government’s inefficacy in enacting legislation, even after 45 days, to uphold the appeal rights of individuals convicted by military courts.
Within its detailed narrative, the petition references the Supreme Court’s ruling on May 7 concerning military courts, where it unequivocally ordered the provision of appeal rights to those convicted under such tribunals.
However, the government has glaringly failed to implement legislation respecting this imperative directive from the court, the document insists.
In a powerful closing statement, the petition argues that such non-compliance equates to contempt of court, thus urging the initiation of contempt proceedings against the prime minister.