After Nehal and Tallal, Daniyal gets ‘noticed’ for anti-judiciary speeches

–CJP Mian Saqib Nisar takes suo motu notice of PML-N minister Daniyal Aziz’s ‘contemptuous speeches’, issues him notice for Feb 7

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday took suo motu notice of “anti-judiciary” speeches made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Daniyal Aziz and ordered him to appear in court on February 7.

Although the court’s notice did not specify which contemptuous speeches by Aziz were considered contemptuous by the CJP, it may be recalled that in December, PML-N leaders including Aziz had launched unprecedented verbal attacks on the judiciary, accusing it of having different standards of justice for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his political opponents.

A few days after the SC had cleared Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a disqualification case, Aziz, in a speech in the National Assembly, had questioned the way the courts had conducted the Panama Papers matter. Stopping just short of blaming Nawaz’s ouster in the Panama Papers case on a ‘grand conspiracy’, the PML-N leader had recalled how the Jamaat-e-Islami had filed a petition naming all 450 Pakistanis mentioned in the Panama Papers with the SC, which was declared frivolous and rejected.

“Imran Khan then filed a copycat petition, containing just Nawaz Sharif’s name. That too was thrown out,” Aziz said, adding that the PTI then staged a ‘failed lockdown’ of Islamabad to put pressure on the court. But rather than sticking to its decision, the court changed its mind and took up the cases that were earlier thrown out.

On Thursday, the SC had found PML-N Senator Nehal Hashmi guilty of committing contempt and sentenced him to one-month imprisonment and barred him from holding public office for five years. He was also fined Rs50,000.

Also on Thursday, the chief justice had taken suo motu notice of contemptuous speeches made by PML-N leader and state minister Tallal Chaudhry and summoned him on Feb 6.

While addressing a public gathering in Jaranwala last week, the PML-N stalwart had said: “There was a time when the Kaabah was filled with idols and now the judiciary, the country’s highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols.”

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has already served notices to Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Rana Sanaullah in a contempt of court petition regarding the same gathering.