ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court declared on Thursday that former federal privatisation minister Daniyal Aziz who has reached the
A three-judge bench of the top court, which had takedn suo motu notice of Aziz's anti-judiciary remarks, heard the proceedings since February this year.
Strict security measures are in place in and around the top court of the country in light of the verdict.
As the three-member bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, convened to announce the verdict, Justice Mushir Alam, who was part of the original bench, was given the verdict for reading out.
Justice Alam, however, decided to wait for Aziz before announcing the verdict as the former minister had not arrived in court.
As Aziz later reached the top court, the court ruled that he committed contempt.
The verdict also states that the three-time MNA is not eligible to contest the 2018 General Election.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, the original head and member of the bench, are not in Islamabad to take part in the hearing.
The trial
The apex court 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”.
Aziz was indicted on contempt charges by the apex court on March 13.
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, has been awarded a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ticket to contest the July 25 general election from NA-77, Narowal-I.
At the last hearing of the case on May 3, when the decision was reserved, prosecutor Rana Waqar had argued that Aziz's remarks were an attack on the system of justice.
Waqar had informed the bench that Aziz had termed 'scripted' Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders' Imran Khan’s acquittal and Jahangir Tareen’s disqualification by the apex court and stated that the monitoring judge of the Supreme Court orchestrated the corruption references against Nawaz and his family.
Aziz had also produced witnesses in his defence during the trial and was represented by senior lawyer Ali Raza.
"If the court’s authority is eroded that what will be left," Justice Sheikh, had wondered.
During an earlier hearing, Justice Sheikh had assured: “The trial will be transparent as per the Constitution.”
The then-minister's response to the court had stated that being a parliamentarian he could not even think of disrespecting state institutions. The reply further said that Aziz believes in the supremacy of Constitution and respects state institutions, including the judiciary.
“Media ran my comments out of context,” the defendant had stated, pleading the court to take back the show-cause notice.
This year, the apex court has already sentenced former PML-N senator Nehal Hashmi for contempt and is hearing a similar contempt notice against former state minister Tallal Chaudry.
Daniyal hails from Narowal's Shakargarh Tehsil and is the son of Anwar Aziz Chaudhry, a veteran politican and former minister.
He has been elected two the National Assembly three times — 1997, 2002 and 2013.
After winning in 2002, he joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and became the head of the National Reconstruction Bureau.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/201044-sc...ct-against-daniyal-aziz-shortly?5b34724abe331
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