CJP Bandial ‘deserves punishment’, Maryam hits out at top judge over audio leaks verdict

• Maryam takes jibe at CJP after SC barred audio leaks commission from working. 
• PML-N leader terms court stay order a “proof and admission of his [CJP] guilt”.
• "Person sitting on highest seat of justice is using his position to avoid accountability."

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday took a jibe at Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial a day after the apex court stayed the proceedings of a high-powered judicial commission on audio leaks.

A day earlier, a five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed suspended the federal government's notification to constitute the commission to probe audio leaks involving judges.

"In the circumstances, till the next date of hearing, the operation of the impugned notification No.SRO.596(I)/2023 dated 19.05.2023 issued by the Federal Government is suspended as is the order dated 22.05.2023 made by the Commission and in consequence thereof proceedings of the Commission are stayed," it stated.

Reacting to the larger bench verdict, the PML-N leader said the CJP’s move to bar the commission from working is “proof and admission of his guilt”.

“The person sitting on the highest seat of justice is using his position to avoid accountability. If you [CJP Bandial] and your mother-in-law are clean, shouldn't you face the law? Or, being the chief justice, the law does not apply to you?” the PML-N leader wrote on her official Twitter handle.

She further said that the CJP “deserved to be punished for making a mockery of the law and judiciary to save his family”.

Her statement comes as the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Supreme Court have been at loggerheads over several issues including the federal government’s refusal to hold Punjab elections on May 14 despite the top court’s verdict.

The ruling alliance has also accused CJ Bandial of giving “undue facilitation” to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and demanded his resignation.

The federal government constituted a three-member judicial commission, headed by a senior judge of the Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan to probe the veracity of recent audio leaks and their impact on the independence of the judiciary.

Earlier today, Justice Isa resumed the proceedings of the audio leaks commission and raised questions over the Supreme Court order stopping the judicial panel from working.