Daniyal Aziz served contempt notice

Asks minister of privatisation to appear before court on February 7

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seems to have landed in hot water after another contempt of court notice, the second in two days, was issued to one of its lawmaker and federal minister Daniyal Aziz for degrading the superior judiciary.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar on Friday took notice of the ‘contemptuous speeches’ of Privatisation Minister Daniyal Aziz and summoned him before the court on February 7.

A day earlier, the CJP had issued similar notice to State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry and has summoned him on February 6.



Since July 28, when the Supreme Court handed an outright disqualification to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a landmark judgment on Panamagate case, the PML-N leadership has been repeatedly targeting the superior judiciary by making serious accusations against the top court and its judges.

During the recent hearing of a case in Lahore few days ago, the CJP’s attention was drawn to the statements of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif regarding the judiciary. The CJP responded, “Our silence should not be mistaken as cowardice. When we will take notice of the contempt of court, it would be for everyone to see.”

Hashmi de-notified

Also on Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified the disqualification of Senator Nehal Hashmi who was disqualified by the Supreme Court on Thursday for making derogatory remarks against the superior judiciary.

Hashmi was also jailed for one month and fined 50,000 rupees. Interestingly, after spending just a day in Adiyala Jail Hashmi developed ‘chest pain’ and had to be shifted to the hospital.

In a notification issued Friday, the ECP cited the Supreme Court’s order regarding Nehal Hashmi to notify his disqualification as a senator.

The apex court had initiated contempt proceedings against Hashmi in the light of Article 63 (1) (g). The said article reads 63. “Disqualifications for membership of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament):A person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), if:- he has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for propagating any opinion, or acting in any manner, prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan, or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan, or morality, or the maintenance of public order, or the integrity or independence of the judiciary of Pakistan, or which defames or brings into ridicule the judiciary or the armed forces of Pakistan, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release.”

In May 2017, Hashmi had made a speech in Karachi in which he hurled direct and implied threats to superior judiciary while ridiculing the judges.

The PML-N even though had apparently distanced itself from Hashmi’s remarks and expelled him from the party.

Hashmi had refused to quit from Senate, despite that he earlier tendered his resignation from the upper house, only to withdraw later.