SC reserved its verdict in Nehal Hashmi case
25 January, 2018
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict in a contempt of court case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) former senator Nehal Hashmi after he submitted an unconditional apology and left himself on the mercy of court.
A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the case.
A contempt of court case was instituted against the PML-N leader for his threatening video message, prima facie, against the members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), who were investigating against the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members on the Supreme Court orders.
Speaking to PML-N workers in Karachi on May 31, 2017, Hashmi had threatened the unidentified enemies of prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Without naming any one, Hashmi had said, “You will not be spared; you are in service now but remember you will retire tomorrow”.
After the release of Hashmi’s video, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of his remarks and consequently the PML-N had suspended his party’s membership, besides asking him to resign from the Senate seat too.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Justice Khosa objected to the wording used by Hashmi in his apology to the court. “If the court feels that I have committed contempt, I apologise, the apology stated, adding that I respect the court and ready to sacrifice his life for it”.
When Justice Khosa asked about the wording of the apology, Hashmi’s counsel Kamran Murtaza stated that he unconditionally apologised on the behalf of his client and left himself on the mercy of court.
Justice Khosa criticized the conduct of Mr Hashmi saying he (Hashmi) is lawyer and he should act with care and utmost restraint, adding that institutions should be respected instead of ridiculing.
Addressing to Mr Hashmi, Justice Khosa said, “As per your speech, you were going to make our life miserable on earth, adding that whatever you say to us is good but you mentioned our children as well”.
The court then directed Hashmi to submit an amended written unconditional apology for his contemptuous remarks. Hashmi then tendered an amended written unconditional apology leaving himself at the mercy of the court. The court then reserved its verdict.
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