ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz leader Daniyal Aziz withdrew his plea against the Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify him on Wednesday.
The supreme court of Pakistan had disqualified Aziz from contesting the elections for a five-year-period under Article 63(1)(g) of the Constitution for contempt of court in June this year.
In August, the PML-N leader filed a review petition against his conviction by a three-member bench headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and denied he had committed contempt of court.
“I never said the words that were written in the newspaper and for which I was held in contempt,” he pleaded in his request.
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Daniyal had said that TV channels had censored the sentence for which he was held for contempt of court, arguing that this was equal to him not having the sentence at all.
Aziz reiterated at the time that he had never violated the court’s orders adding that he and his party always implemented the court’s orders.
However, in a dramatic shift, the lawmaker has withdrawn his petition. After disqualification, Aziz was not able to take part in July 25 elections.
His wife, Mehnaz Aziz contested elections from NA-77 Narowal and was declared a winner in the last general elections.
Case Background
On February 2, the apex court issued a contempt of court notice to Aziz for his alleged anti-judiciary speeches.
On March 13, the top court formally indicted the federal privatisation minister. The court indicted the minister under Article 204 and contempt of court law 2003.
The apex court remarked that the federal minister has scandalised the judiciary, adding that Aziz intervened in court matters.
On May 3, the three-member bench reserved the verdict in the case.
At the final hearing, Prosecutor Rana Waqar had argued that remarks passed by Aziz were tantamount to an attack on the system of justice. He informed the apex court that the federal minister had referred to PTI chief Imran Khan’s acquittal and Jahangir Tareen’s disqualification as scripted. Aziz has also accused the monitoring judge in corruption references against Sharif family of orchestrating the cases.
To which, the accused minister said: “I respect the judiciary and cannot imagine of disgracing it”. Daniyal further said that he had been holding the various top position in the country but there was no allegation against him. “All the life, I made efforts for the freedom of judiciary,” he added.
