Islamabad March 6 (TNS): The Supreme Court on Tuesday announced to indict Privatization Minister Daniyal Aziz in a contempt of court case on March 13 as the apex court has rebuffed his reply in the case as unsatisfactory.
A three-member bench headed by Mia Saqib Nisar took up the contempt of court case against Aziz over his alleged controversial speeches and statements on TV shows.
Earlier, the privatization minister had submitted his reply to the contempt notice stating that he respected courts and keep them in high esteem and his statements and speeches must not be misconstrued as the contempt of court.
The bench, however, observed that the reply was ‘unsatisfactory’ and he would be indicted or formally charge-sheeted on March 13.
Meanwhile, the same bench summoned former PML-N senator Nehal Hashmi — who was released a few day back after he spent one-month in Adiala Jail after the Supreme Court sentenced him in a contempt of court case — has been summoned on Wednesday by the apex court on his review petition against the one-month sentence awarded by the court earlier.
During the hearing of the case, the chief justice said that what Nehal Hashmi uttered against the judiciary and him soon after he was released from the jail was regrettable. The chief justice said that it was also the contempt of the court and the court will have to draw the line to deal with contempt cases and see what happens. The Supreme Court summoned Hashmi for Wednesday and asked him to clarify his position. The chief justice said that he was discomfited over the words used by Hashmi after his release from the jail. The chief justice said that the court reserves the right to extend the term of sentence and why Hashmi’s term should be extended and order to file a case against him. Hashmi’s counsel requested the court not to include his client’s words in the court order.
Meanwhile, another bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal heard the contempt of court case against State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry.
Chaudhry personally appeared before the court in the contempt case and his counsel Kamran Murtaza requested the court to provide CDs containing his client’s anti-judiciary speeches. The counsel said that his client has already submitted his reply to the Supreme Court in this regard.
The court ordered the additional attorney general to provide the CDs to the counsel before adjourning the case till March 8. The court also exempted Talal Chaudhry from personal appearance at the next hearing.
