MUZAFFARABAD – Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) sentenced Special Judge of the Anti-Narcotics Court to jail for contempt of court and ordered his immediate arrest from courtroom.
Session Judge Raja Imtiaz was taken into custody following the verdict issued by a full bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan. The contempt proceedings stemmed from Judge Imtiaz’s decision to grant bail to a suspect in a narcotics case, in direct violation of binding orders previously issued by both the High Court and the Supreme Court.
In its detailed judgment, the apex court stated that Judge Imtiaz had not only defied the authority of the Supreme Court but also misled the court and undermined its dignity. The court found his actions to be a serious breach of judicial conduct and sentenced him to three days in prison.
Court officials confirmed that Judge Imtiaz was escorted out of the courtroom by security personnel immediately after the sentencing.
Legal experts have termed the decision a rare but significant move to uphold the authority of the judiciary and maintain discipline within the judicial ranks of AJK.
