- CJP warns of extending Nehal’s punishment term over controversial remarks following release from jail
- PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz to be indicted in contempt case on March 13
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday summoned former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Nehal Hashmi on Wednesday over his most recent inflammatory speech — delivered after the PML-N leader completed his one-month sentence for contempt of court.
After his release from the Adiala Jail, Hashmi had declared himself “a victim of revenge” while complaining that his appeal against the verdict in the contempt of court case was not heard even after his sentence had ended.
“This is the height of oppression,” he had said. “Who are you holding accountable? And who are you anyway? I stand by what I said [earlier],” he had said.
On being asked if he was “ashamed” of the statement that had landed him in jail in the first place, Hashmi declared that only a “fraud, thief or a person who took undue advantage of power would be embarrassed”.
On Tuesday, the court screened the speech while hearing the same appeal Hashmi had complained about. Hashmi’s lawyer, Kamran Murtaza, sought to apologise on behalf of his client after the speech was played for the court, but the court said that the matter would be taken up after Hashmi’s appearance.
Justice Azmat, in his remarks, observed that Hashmi seems to be toeing one line in the documents submitted to court, and another when he talks to media and makes speeches.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that Hashmi had again used objectionable language against judges after his release, to which Murtaza said Hashmi was “ashamed” of what he had said and asked that it not be quoted in the court’s written order. However, the chief justice refused the request.
“The court has taken a position on the matter, come what may. Hashmi’s punishment term could also be extended over his controversial remarks following his release from jail,” the CJP said.
DANIYAL TO BE INDICTED ON 13TH:
Hearing another contempt case, the SC decided to indict PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz on March 13.
The SC had served Aziz a contempt of court notice last month for an “anti-judiciary” speech he made. During the last hearing, Aziz had insisted that he had been misquoted by newspapers.
On Tuesday, the court expressed dissatisfaction with Aziz’s statement and remarked that, prima facie, his statements merit the registration of a contempt of court case against him.
In his remarks, Justice Azmat remarked that he had been serving as a judge for last 14 years, but never during his tenure as judge had he taken a contempt of court notice.
“I had written in some of my rulings that fair and even unfair comments can be passed on the decisions,” he said, adding that he was now “fed up with all this [politicking].”
Advocate Ali Raza, who is representing Aziz, told the court that a private news channel had aired the proceedings of a private meeting in the video under discussion.
Talking about the video that ran on another news channel, he said that the judiciary had not been mentioned in the discussion.
The hearing of the case will resume on March 13.
CASE AGAINST TALLAL CHAUDRY:
In the contempt of court case against Tallal Chaudhry, the SC directed a federal law officer to provide CD recordings to Tallal of his anti-judiciary speech, which led to the institution of a contempt of court case against him.
The PML-N leader appeared before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan seized with the hearing of the contempt of court case against him.
The federal minister’s lawyer asked the court to provide CD recordings of his client’s speech in question. The bench observed that he had already been given a transcript of the speech and directed the additional attorney general to provide the minister CD recordings.
The court then adjourned for March 8, and Chaudhry was granted an exemption from appearing owing to a commitment.
