SC disqualifies Nehal Hashmi, awards one month jail time

The Supreme Court (SC) sentenced on Thursday Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz Senator Nehal Hashmi to one month jail time in the contempt of court case.

The court also barred Hasmi from holding public office for a period of five years, according to Article 63(1)(g) of the Constitution, local media reported. The three judge bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, has slapped a fine of Rs.50,000 on Hashmi. After the verdict Hashmi was taken into custody by the police from the courtroom.

During a fiery speech last year in May, Hashmi threatened judges of apex court and joint investigation team members, probing offshore accounts of Sharif family. The SC took suo motu notice of his speech.

A video of Hashmi's speech went viral on social media, in which he warned those conducting the investigation will be 'taken to task' for grilling the Sharif's family. After Hashmi's controversial speech, he was directed by his party to resign from the Senate.

SC reserves judgment in Nehal Hashmi contempt case

However, he had later withdrawn his resignation. Nawaz Sharif had also expelled Hashmi from PML-N after the party unanimously concluded that Hashmi had violated the party's discipline.

During the previous hearing on January 24, Kamran Murtaza counsel for Hashmi, submitted an unconditional apology on behalf of his client. The bench, however, raised objections on the words used in the submission. The apology said, “If the court feels that I have committed contempt, I apologise.”