If I were you, I would have died of shame, says CJ to Nehal Hashmi

ISLAMABAD: Expressing his displeasure, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar said to Nehal Hashmi “If I were in your place, I would have died of embarrassment”.

He was hearing the contempt of the court case of Nehal Hashmi, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N), being held in the Supreme Court (SC) here on Monday.

A three-member bench headed by the chief justice, held the hearing during which Hashmi pleaded forgiveness before the court at which the CJP asked if the PML-N leader could make this appeal.

The CJP angrily remarked that Hashmi had offended the SC and asked him to repeat the same words. To this, Hashmi responded that he had not made any such statement.

Justice Saqib Nisar said, “How about we appoint Rasheed Ahmed Rizvi as a mediator and show everyone what you said?” The video of Hashmi’s statement was shown in the court afterwards.

He asked Hashmi to tell for whom he used these inappropriate words. When the CJP asked Rizvi the same question, he replied that he has not said any such thing against the judges. “Not any lawyer can make such a statement, this institution is our identity,” Rizvi said.

When the CJP asked him to tell who was hearing political cases, Hashmi said that he could swear before the court.

The CJP said, “Let’s witness the justice of lawyers today. Rizvi should tell what he said about the court. Can Hashmi use the same words for himself? The lawyers should tell how the people abusing outside the court be punished? Doesn’t he feel ashamed that he was enjoying parties in Islamabad after making an excuse of cardiac pain.

The CJP said that Hashmi had no embarrassment over his attitude. “If I were him, I would have died of shame”.

However he said, “If the lawyers forgive him, we will also forgive him.”

Later, the hearing case was adjourned till tomorrow.