Pakistan's Supreme Court today sentenced a senior leader of the jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party for contempt of court, disqualifying him from holding public office for five years, months after he made anti-judiciary remarks.
The Supreme Court had initiated contempt proceedings against the fire-brand Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Tallal Chaudhry for his "derogatory and contemptuous speeches/statements" against the judiciary during a rally in January.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmad, sentenced Chaudhry till the rising of the court and also imposed a fine of Rs 100,000.
The apex court found the former state interior minister guilty of violating Article 204 of the Constitution, Dawn newspaper reported.
As a result of his conviction, Chaudhry is ineligible to contest elections for the next five years, it said.
Chaudhry was ordered by the apex court to ensure his presence during today's proceedings, which were based on a suo motu notice on his 'anti-judiciary' speech during a party rally in Jaranwala in January this year.
Chaudhry had contested the July 25 general election from NA-102 (Faisalabad-II) but lost to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's Nawab Shair by nearly 12,000 votes.
During his speech at a PML-N rally, Chaudhry had demanded removing the judges of the apex court, alleging, "they will not give justice but will continue their injustices."
While speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court today, Chaudhry said, "I accept this verdict if it increases the court's standing."