ISLAMABAD – Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has dismissed acontempt petition filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

A three-judge SC bench headed by CJP Nisar dismissed the applicationremarking that ‘Nawaz Sharif does not hold any public office anymore’ hencethe case is ineffective.

“Tell me what do you have against Nawaz in the case? Has he doneout-of-turn promotions? He does not hold any public office anymore, so whataction do we take against him?” the CJP questioned.

Earlier, the CJP had said that the top court would take notice of theousted premier’s anti-judiciary speeches at an “appropriate” time. The CJPexpressed these views in response to a journalist’s query of why the SC isnot taking notice of Nawaz’s speeches during the hearing of the suo motucase of eight-year-old Zainab’s rape and murder in Kasur.

“There is a proper time to take action in any matter,” remarked the CJP. Healso said that they are not showing restraint, but will take notice in thematter at an ‘appropriate’ time.

“When we will decide to take notice no power in the world can force us tostop,” the CJP concluded.

Meanwhile on Monday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) accepted a petition to banthe ousted PM’s anti-judiciary speeches and fixed the hearing for April 2,before a three-judge bench.

The petition, submitted by Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffery, stated that therhetoric used by Nawaz Sharif in his speeches was in direct contempt of thecourt. The petition further stated that the transmission and publication ofall such speeches should be banned, citing the example of the ban onbroadcast of Altaf Hussain’s speeches.

Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh was hearing the petition.

In December last year, ousted premier Nawaz Sharif announced a campaignagainst what he called the “double standards” of the judiciary.