Nehal pardoned in contempt case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday withdrew the contempt of court case against the PML-N leader Nehal Hashmi after accepting his written unconditional apology.

The top court had served a second contempt notice on Hashmi for using abusive language against the apex court judges after his release from jail last month. Hashmi remained behind the bars after the Supreme Court awarded him one-month jail for committing the contempt of court. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, resumed hearing of the show cause notice issued to Hashmi.

“We drop the contempt proceedings against Nehal Hashmi after he submitted a written unconditional apology,” Chief Justice Saqib Nisar ruled after Ahsen Bhoon furnished a written apology with the court on behalf of his client.

Earlier, in pursuance of the court’s last order, President Supreme Bar Association Syed Muhammad Kalim Ahmed Khurshid, former president SCBA Rashid A Rizvi, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Kamran Murtaza, senior lawyer Naeem Bukhari, Ahsen Bhoon and others appeared before the court and prayed that Hashmi be pardoned although the language used by him was not acceptable.

The chief justice asked Hashmi to submit a written unconditional apology by 4pm. He said if the court felt satisfied with the apology, then an appropriate order will be passed. Later, at 4pm, Ahsen Bhoon told the CJP that a written unconditional apology had been filed by Hashmi after which the chief Justice dropped the contempt proceedings.

In his written apology, Hashmi said: “I Muhammad Nehal Hashmi, Advocate High Court, practicing at Karachi, do hereby respectably submit that in great respect of this court and leadership of the legal fraternity I am highly regretful of my unbecoming conduct and submit my unconditional apology and so place myself at the mercy of this court for forgiveness.”

I solemnly assure and undertake that I will not give any cause of complaint of any sort in future to the courts in respect of my conduct.” Hashmi prayed the apex court to accept his unconditional apology and graciously drop the contempt of court proceedings against him.

Earlier, President Supreme Court Bar Association Syed Muhammad Kalim Ahmed Khurshid submitted before the court that they find no words to justify such a situation, adding that if they will not respect the institutions then it will be their great failure. The way this institution was insulted is in fact our insult as well,” the SCBA president said and requested the chief justice to personally pardon Hashmi.

Kamran Murtaza, Vice Chairman Pakistan Bar Council and former president Supreme Court Bar Association, also prayed the apex court to pardon Hashmi. Kamran Murtaza submitted that had these words been used for someone else they still would not have defended them.

Rashid A Rizvi, former SCBA president, informed the court that the Sindh Bar had cancelled the license of Hashmi for three months adding that the matter had been forwarded to the tribunal.

Addressing the top lawyers, the chief justice said he personally didn’t want to punish Hashmi’s children for the fault committed by their father. The chief justice, however, made it clear that Hashmi’s pardon should not be made a precedent for future. Justice Umer Ata Bandyal observed that since Hashmi was justifying his acts a few days ago, he should take responsibility for what he had committed.