RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting an unconditional apology from controversial ruling PML-N Senator Nehal Hashmi, the Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced him to one month imprisonment and a Rs 50,000 fine.

Announcing its verdict in a contempt of court case against Senator Hashmi, the apex court also ruled that Hashmi stood disqualified from holding any public office for a period of five years under Article 63 (1)(g) of the Constitution.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Dost Mohammad and Justice Maqbool Baqar announced the 2:1 decision. A dissenting note was authored by Justice Dost Mohammad.

Following the order, Senator Hashmi was taken into police custody by personnel present in the court. He was taken to Secretariat Police Station and later shifted to Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The senator will serve 15 more days in jail if he fails to pay the Rs 50,000 fine.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, after the verdict in Hashmi’s case, said the decision is in accordance with law. This comment was made by the CJP while hearing another case.

Hashmi on May 28, 2017 delivered a fiery speech at a private function and threatened to make miserable the lives of the people who ‘have held the Sharif family accountable.’ The apex court had taken a suo motu notice of his speech while the ruling PML-N had suspended his party membership and asked him to resign from the Senate.

Hashmi, however, had retracted his resignation days after submitting it before the Senate chairman – a move condemned by the ruling party which later expelled him for violating the party discipline.

Earlier, the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, overseeing the Panama Papers JIT’s proceedings, on June 22 expressed dissatisfaction over Hashmi’s reply to its show cause notice as the senator had not shown any regret or remorse for delivering the speech.

Hashmi had offered an ‘unqualified and unconditional apology’ for his alleged hate speech against the judiciary and Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and his counsel had moved a fresh application, offering an unconditional apology ‘if the bench points out any of his fault.’

The application claimed that Hashmi is an innocent law-abiding citizen, a member of the Senate of Pakistan and a senior lawyer and thus cannot even imagine committing any act intentionally or willfully which could be taken as against the judiciary.