Pakistan's Supreme Court today upheld the conviction of seven senior officials, including police officers, in the manhandling case of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Justice Chaudhry was roughed up on March 13 last year when he was going to the apex court to answer the allegation of misuse of office before the Supreme Judicial Council.

A case was registered against then Islamabad chief commissioner Khalid Pervaiz, deputy commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, inspector general police Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, Senior Superintendent of Police Zafar Iqbal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jamil Hashmi, inspector Rukhsar Mehdi and assistant sub-inspector Mohammad Siraj.

They were convicted by the trial court in the same year and their sentence upheld by the Supreme Court in a decision on November 1, 2007. However, they had made intra-court appeals and sought pardon.

A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa held detailed hearing and contemplated on what grounds contempt case can be pardoned or an apology accepted.
Justice Khosa remarked that dragging a chief justice by the hair was the biggest contempt in the eyes of law.

After completing the hearing last month, the bench had reserved the judgment which was announced today.In its final judgment, the bench dismissed the appeals and reinstated the punishment awarded to the accused.

Pakistan's Supreme Court today upheld the conviction of seven senior officials, including police officers, in the manhandling case of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Justice Chaudhry was roughed up on March 13 last year when he was going to the apex court to answer the allegation of misuse of office before the Supreme Judicial Council.

A case was registered against then Islamabad chief commissioner Khalid Pervaiz, deputy commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, inspector general police Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, Senior Superintendent of Police Zafar Iqbal, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jamil Hashmi, inspector Rukhsar Mehdi and assistant sub-inspector Mohammad Siraj.

They were convicted by the trial court in the same year and their sentence upheld by the Supreme Court in a decision on November 1, 2007. However, they had made intra-court appeals and sought pardon.

A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa held detailed hearing and contemplated on what grounds contempt case can be pardoned or an apology accepted.
Justice Khosa remarked that dragging a chief justice by the hair was the biggest contempt in the eyes of law.

After completing the hearing last month, the bench had reserved the judgment which was announced today. In its final judgment, the bench dismissed the appeals and reinstated the punishment awarded to the accused.