Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed said on Thursday that if Nihal Hashmi was punished for threatening the court then why former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz punished were spared for criticizing the apex court judges.
He was talking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly. He said Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were continuously criticizing judges in the public gatherings. He also criticized the government for increasing the petroleum prices. Recent increase in the prices of petroleum products will bring a new wave of inflation, he opined.
Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah spoke against the one-month jail term awarded by the Supreme Court to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Nehal Hashmi on contempt charges. "Nehal Hashmi's unconditional apology should have been accepted," the minister said. "Traditionally, whoever asks for an unconditional apology is forgiven," Sanaullah pointed out as he recalled instances from the past when the apex court forgave individuals for contempt of court after they sought unconditional apology.
"Take Babar Awan's example. He openly ridiculed the judiciary [in the past] but he was forgiven after he sought an unconditional apology. Nehal Hashmi also tendered such an apology, but he wasn't forgiven [by the judges]," the minister said. Sanaullah said criticising the decisions is a democratic right of an individual."
"Nawaz Sharif accepted the Supreme Court's verdict and stepped down. Had he not accepted the decision, it would have been a contempt of court. But simply criticising the verdict is not [contempt of court]." "Imran Khan was declared Sadiq and Ameen. Is it not my right to criticise this [verdict]?" Sanaullah questioned.
Earlier, during the session both treasury and opposition members demanded that exact data of population of minorities should be shared. Opposition members also protested in the House against recent increase in prices of petroleum products.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah said that the election commission will share the data regarding the population of minorities as early as possible. The session of the Punjab Assembly started 1 hour 10 minutes late under the chair of Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal. Provincial Minister Ahmad Yar Hanjra and Parliamentary Secretary Alyas Ansari answered the questions regarding Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal and Prisons departments.