Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday sentenced Senator Nehal Hashmi to one month in prison over contempt of court case against him.
ISLAMABAD, (Pakistan Point News - 01st Feb, 2018) : Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday sentenced Senator Nehal Hashmi to one month in prison over contempt of court case against him. A three-member bench headed by Justice Asif Khosa has also disqualified the accused for five years, asking him to submit Rs50,000 fine. The decision was abruptly opposed by Justice Dost Mohammad. The court also rejected unconditional apology plea of Nehal Hashmi.
Afterwards, the former leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was taken into custody. Responding to the court’s verdict, Chief of Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid said that the sentence given to Nehal Hashmi is less as compare to his crime. The assembly members are adopting new fashion of insulting courts, he added. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry termed the decision as appropriate, saying that this verdict will be an example for Nawaz’s son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar who is continuously abusing judiciary.
Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that PML-N has never criticized judges, adding that Nehal Hashmi submitted unconditional apology in the apex court. On May 28, Hashmi triggered a political storm by threatening the members of the joint investigation team (JIT) and Supreme Court judges of “dire consequences” after their retirement for probing Sharif family in connection with Panama papers case. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sought his resignation from Senate seat and suspended his party membership. Hashmi’s threatening speech drew instant reaction from the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar taking suo motu notice and summoning the PML-N leader to appear in person before the implementation bench supervising the work of the Panama JIT.
