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Pakistan Supreme Court issues code of conduct

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Foreseeing protests at its portals as it prepares to take up a petition by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary challenging his ouster daily from May 14, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday issued a strict code of conduct for lawyers and media.

Legal process

The Court said reports in the media likely to interfere with the legal process, ridicule, malign or scandalise the court or any of its judges, or that touch on the merits of the case were "strictly prohibited".

Any transgressions would be punished under contempt laws, said a court press release.

The court also restricted entry for lawyers and prohibited the raising of slogans inside the premises.

In Karachi, lawyers who had called off their agitation following the stay on the Supreme Judicial Council hearings of the reference against the Chief Justice, observed a token strike again after city authorities sealed the office of the Supreme Court Bar Association President Munir A. Malik.

Mr. Malik is one of the defence lawyers of Mr. Chaudhary and has been in the forefront of the agitation for the withdrawal of the reference against him.

Officials in Karachi said his office flouted the law that prohibits commercial operations in a residential area.

The Karachi Bar Association said it had given city officials 24 hours to unseal Mr. Malik's office, or they would break open the lock themselves.

The Bar met to pass a resolution against the Government for the action against Mr. Malik.

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