ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday decided to indict Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nehal Hashmi for his most recent inflammatory speech that he made after completing his one-month sentence for contempt of court on March 26.
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.
Taking up its second contempt notice against Hashmi on Monday, a three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, dismissed his response as unsatisfactory and decided to indict him.
Talking to the media after the hearing, Hashmi claimed that he never uttered any words against the judges and judiciary.
“That clip showed the language of inmates,” he said. He also asserted that it is his legal and constitutional right that the apology he tenders before the court is accepted, adding that “I shouldn’t be victimised politically.
“I hope the court will think about my apology,” he said further.
Earlier on March 7, during the SC’s proceedings against Hashmi, his lawyer Kamran Murtaza claimed that the former senator was “ashamed” of what he said and asked for it to be omitted from the court’s written order, the chief justice, however, refused his request.
During the proceedings, a video of Hashmi’s post-prison-release media talk was played. In response, Hashmi claimed that he was “acting”, to which Justice Umar Ata Bandiyal asked, “if the lawyer and politician was an actor”.
“I was merely expressing the sentiments of people,” Hashmi told the bench.
The court also issued notices to vice-chairmen of all the bar councils to submit their response to the court’s plan to cancel Hashmi’s licence to practice law.
