ISLAMABAD: Minister for Privatization Daniyal Aziz on Monday presented video of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Javed Hashmi’s press conference in the case of contempt against him.
Supreme Court (SC) conducted proceedings of the contempt of court case against Aziz by a three-member bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed. Aziz requested the SC to summon the transcribed version of Hashmi’s speech that includes claims by PTI chief Imran Khan that the judiciary will overthrow Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) government in 2014.
Aziz’s defence counsel Ali Raza filed an application in SC urging the court to summon the defence witness Director of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Haji Adam along with the video of Hashmi’s press conference on January 1, 2017.
The defence counsel said that summoning the witness and permitting the video as evidence will be pivotal to prove his client’s innocence as Hashmi’s speech had made claims regarding PTI’s political plot of ousting PML-N. He added that the reference to former PTI leader Hashmi’s speech alleging Khan of conspiring with the Judiciary as he had claimed Nasir-ul-Mulk would be sworn in after former Chief Justice if Pakistan (CJP) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.
The press conference also brought forward claims of an incident of 1999 when General Mahmood had supposedly demanded a resignation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The speech also alleges PTI for opting for an offensive strategy targeting PML-N by using the courts.
Earlier SC had charged Aziz in contempt of court case. The case commenced on February 2 after Aziz was alleged of passing contemptuous remarks against the judiciary. The SC bench stated that he was found guilty in prima facie on evidence of his blatant remarks made on TV shows aired in the previous year dated June 9, December 15 and December 31.