Nehal in court again on ‘abuses’

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday summoned the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nehal Hashmi again for 'abusing' the court after his release in February.

A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing an intra-court appeal. The CJ asked Nehal Hashmi as to why his sentence should not be enhanced further, a new notice be issued to him or an order be passed for registration of an FIR against him.

Last month, a three-member SC bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, had rejected an unconditional apology tendered by Nehal Hashmi in a contempt of court case and sentenced him to one month in jail. The court disqualified him for five years for ridiculing and threatening the judges and the Panama Leaks case joint investigation team (JIT) members.

In a two-one majority decision, Senator Hashmi was awarded 30 days imprisonment with Rs50,000 fine. Justice Dost Muhammad Khan had abstained in the verdict.

Nehal Hashmi was disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of parliament for a period of five years from February 1, 2018, under Article 63(1)(g) of the Constitution. Police took him into custody from the Supreme Court premises and sent him to the Adiala Jail.

He was sentenced under Section 5(1) of the said ordinance to simple imprisonment for one month and Rs50,000 fine was imposed on him. In case of default on payment, he would have to undergo 15 days more imprisonment, the court had ruled.

On Tuesday, the court took a strong exception to the abusive language used by him (Hashmi) after his release from jail a few days back.

CJ Mian Saqib Nisar said that the court would examine whether an FIR could be registered against him or if punishment could be enhanced. During the course of hearing, a video clip was played in the courtroom wherein Nehal Hashmi was using abusive language against judges.

The CJ asked Kamran Murtaza, counsel for Nehal Hashmi, to note what his client was uttering. The counsel, however, submitted that he was tendering an apology for the language his client had used and further prayed that the language used by his client should not be made part of the court order.

The chief justice, however, said that the abusive language used by Hashmi was heard by the whole country.

“We have chosen our way and we have no shame regarding those words,” the CJ remarked. Meanwhile, the court rejected the plea of NehalHashmi praying for constituting a larger bench for hearing his intra-court appeal and summoned him for today (Wednesday).

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday decided to indict Federal Minister for Privatisation Daniyal Aziz next week in a contempt of court case after expressing dissatisfaction over his reply submitted before it.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, resumed hearing in the contempt of court case against Daniyal Aziz. CJ Mian Saqib Nisar had taken a suo motu notice and issued a contempt notice to Daniyal Aziz for contemptuous speeches against the apex court with special reference to the Panama case against the disqualified premier Nawaz Sharif.

On Feb 19, the court issued a show-cause notice to Daniyal Aziz in contempt of court case against him. On Tuesday, the court ruled for framing charges against him the next week.

“After hearing the learned counsel for the petitioner as well as Additional Attorney General, we are not persuaded to discharge the show-cause notice, issued to Daniyal Aziz and hence charge would be framed against him on March 13.”

Earlier, arguing before the court, Ali Raza, counsel for Daniyal Aziz, submitted that the news report appearing in a newspaper on Sept 9, 2017 was based on a press conference, held by Daniyal Aziz in the Press Information Department (PID). He, however, contended that the said news story was totally incorrect and not according to the contents of the press conference. During his arguments, Daniyal Aziz was standing with his counsel.

The counsel contended that the next day he went through other newspaper reports about the said conference and it was found that none of the papers had published the press conference inaccurately except for one particular newspaper.

“You mean that what your client said in the press conference was totally different,” Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed asked the counsel, to which the counsel replied in the affirmative. The counsel also referred to other speeches of Daniyal Aziz, aired by the electronic media.

The court, after hearing the counsel for Daniyal Aziz, asked Additional Attorney Chaudhry Aamir Rehman for his viewpoint. The law officer, however, submitted that it was between the court and contemner, saying “if the court finds that the reply is not satisfactory, it can proceed in accordance with the law”. Later, the court ruled that charge would be framed against Daniyal Aziz on March 13 and issued a notice to Attorney General for Pakistan and adjourned the hearing.