Daniyal requests SC to summon Hashmi’s speech

Terms evidence ‘necessary’ to establish his defence

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Daniyal Aziz has produced Javed Hashmi’s news conference to establish his defence in the contempt case against him.

Aziz requested the Supreme Court to summon the transcript of senior politician Javed Hashmi's speech in which he had referred to PTI chief Imran Khan’s statement that the judiciary “would topple the PML-N government in 2014”.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh is resuming hearing in the contempt case against the PML-N leader today (Monday).

Counsel for Aziz, Ali Raza, moved an application, requesting to summon defence witness, who is Pemra Director (Monitoring) Haji Adam, along with the video regarding Hashmi's news conference he held on January 1, 2017, adding it was a necessary evidence to establish defence of his client in the interest of justice.



Interestingly the same official was the prosecution witness in this case.

Aziz has pleaded the Supreme Court that defence witness should be directed to place the news conference of senior politician Javed Hashmi, which was held in January 2017.

In the news conference, Hashmi referred to Imran's statement where he said that [former chief justice of Pakistan] Tassaduq Hussain Jillani would leave and then Nasir-ul-Mulk would [be sworn in].

He would [listen to us] and dissolve the assemblies. And after that, there would be elections in 90 days. During that time, he said, the Supreme Court will take over and then we [the PTI] will win," Hashmi alleged.



"I said, Imran Khan, this is not how it happens. This sit-in will not be successful," says Hashmi

"If you're not winning, don't destroy the entire country because you are frustrated," Hashmi said, recalling his conversation with the PTI chief.

"I resigned because the Supreme Court's holidays were [suddenly] cancelled... This seemed like a very big conspiracy to me," he said.

"This seemed like the last item [on the script]. Because the generals had already told Imran Khan that Nawaz Sharif would not sign his resignation letter," Hashmi claimed.

The veteran politician was referring to an incident in 1999, when General Mahmood had allegedly asked PM Nawaz Sharif to sign his resignation, but the premier chose not to sign the letter and told the general to kill him instead.



"It was [Imran Khan's] second step to get everything done by the Supreme Court," Hashmi added, referring to the possibility of a move to force the prime minister's resignation through the Supreme Court.

Hashmi also said he has always been against the PTI's strategy of sit-ins against the government. "It isn't the right strategy as it will only produce more struggle for the young political workers in your party," he said, adding that he had warned Imran his party workers would struggle on the streets for five years without any outcome.

"Young people see things in black and white," he said. "I am more experienced than he is in politics. I know what I am saying."