The Supreme Court has announced on Friday that Nehal Hashmi would be indicted on 10th of July.
The senator rose to fame with his inciting speech criticising an investigation into the prime minister’s business dealings abroad was circulated widely on media.
During Friday’s hearing on the matter, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed expressed severe displeasure at Hashmi’s unannounced absence from the courtroom.
Hashmi’s lawyer told the judge that his client had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, but thejudge was displeased about it and said that he shouldn’t have left without letting him know.
The court said it will now bring criminal charges against Hashmi. The charges will be framed on July 10.
The senator had come under fire after a video was released with him warning individuals conducting a Supreme Court-sanctioned investigation that they will be ‘taken to task’ for interrogating the premier’s family.
His remarks were, prima facie, directed at the Supreme Court-appointed joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Sharif family’s business dealings abroad.
Hours after the senator’s incendiary remarks made national headlines, Hashmi’s membership of the PML-N was suspended and a show-cause notice was issued to him.
The chief justice had taken suo motu notice of the video and summoned the senator to appear before the special bench overseeing the implementation of the Panama Papers verdict.
Subsequently, the senator also tendered his resignation from his seat in the Senate – however, a few days later, he withdrew the resignation citing the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ that compelled him to take the step.
