Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member Sheikh Wasim along with three others was found guilty of contempt by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday.

The individuals were accused of holding an anti-judiciary rally and shouting slogans against the judiciary in Kasur.

A three-member bench of the High Court, chaired by Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, announced the verdict that had been earlier reserved.

Former Member of National Assembly Sheikh Wasim, former senior vice chairman of PML-N’s Kasur wing Jamil Khan, former Kasur Baitul Maal chairman Nasir Khan and former vice chairman of Kasur’s municipality department Ahmed Latif were handed down a one-month imprisonment sentence along with a Rs 100,000-fine each.

Moreover, former Member of Provincial Assembly Naeem Safdar and former chairman of Kasur’s municipality department Haji Ayaz, were exonerated by the court.

After the verdict was announced, the police arrested the four individuals sentenced by the court.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court sentenced former federal privatisation minister and PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz for contempt of court “until rising of the court”. The contempt judgment also disqualified Daniyal Aziz from the Parliament for five years, rendering him ineligible to contest the polls.

Aziz was indicted on contempt charges by the apex court on March 13.

The SC had issued a show-cause notice to Aziz on February 19, after a contempt of court notice was sent to him on February 2 over his “controversial speeches and statements made during television shows”.

The SC had reserved its decision in the case on May 3 after both sides completed their arguments.

Aziz, who vehemently defended, in the media, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family during the Panama Papers case proceedings last year, was awarded a PML-N ticket to contest the July 25 general election from NA-77, Narowal-I.

In its judgment, the court ruled that Aziz had attempted to malign the court in his media talks and spread hatred in light of Section 2 of Article 204 of the Constitution and found him guilty on the last two of the three charges against him.

The court also ruled that it deliberately showed leniency and did not send Aziz to jail for six months under the law.

Published in Daily Times, June 30^th 2018.