SC serves contempt notice on Rehman

ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court on Thursday issued contempt of court notice to Minister for Interior Rehman Malik for intervention in the courts proceedings and misinterpreting its order.
The court was already unhappy with the Minister for transferring former DG FIA Tariq Khosa, as the Chief Justice had remarked during the last hearing of Bank of Punjab loan scam case that the government had not sent a good message to the court. He had further remarked that Khosa had offered an excellent performance in carrying out investigations of the said case and had made possible arrest and deportation of the chief accused from Malaysia.
It was also displeased with Khosas removal from investigation of the case pertaining to the alleged misappropriation of Rs 22 billion in Pakistan Steel Mills and constitution of a joint investigation team by Rehman Malik for the purpose.
On Thursday, during hearing of the Steel Mills scam, the court further got enraged when informed that Rehman Malik had offered courts dissatisfaction with Khosas performance as the major reason behind his removal from FIA.
The Chief Justice said that the court had not expressed any dissatisfaction over Khosas performance, else he was entrusted with investigation of sensitive cases and he was doing very well. He said that the Minister for Interior had intervened in courts proceedings and had misinterpreted its order. We would first proceed against Rehman A Malik, the Chief Justice said.
We issue notice to Rehman Malik to appear before the court and explain as to why not contempt of court proceedings are initiated against him, relevant part of the Chief Justices order said.
The CJ also suspended the December 3 notification of the Ministry of Interior for constitution of the joint investigation team for probing the Steel Mills scam.
Earlier, the Chief Justice had asked Acting Attorney General Shah Khawar to inform the court within ten minutes whether or not the government was going to re-appoint Tariq Khosa as DG FIA. Shah Khawar appeared before the court after a while and submitted that the Prime Minister had asked him to pay his regards to the Chief Justice and convey to the court that the government was most willing to appoint whatever officer the court orders as DG FIA.
Khosa has been elevated to the post of secretary due to his excellent performance and could be appointed Secretary, Ministry of Interior; AAG quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
The Chief Justice, however, said that bring him (Khosa) back to the FIA to complete investigations into the important cases pending before the cases like the one mentioned above.
However, later in his order, the Chief Justice said that at this point the court would not comment over Khosas reposting but said it was seriously concerned that an act of Minister for Interior had disrupted courts proceedings.
The Chief Justice directed Zubair Mehmood, Director FIA Karachi to continue with the investigation in the Steel Mills case and adjourned the case till December 24.