ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, ordering him to file his response within a week to the contempt of court charge against him.

Last week, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken a suo motu notice of his anti-judiciary speeches.

During his speech at PML-N’s rally in Jarranwala a week earlier, Chaudhry had said there was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. “Today, the judiciary, which is Pakistan highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols,” he said and asked deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif “to throw them out, throw him out of the court. They will not give justice but will continue their injustices.”

Chaudhry had said that despite Sharif — the PML-N head — doing so much for Pakistan, they [judges] say that somebody else should become the prime minister.

Appearing before the court on Tuesday, Chaudhry requested the bench to allow him three weeks to arrange a lawyer. “The Supreme Court lawyers are very busy,” he said, explaining the reason behind his request.

“Why don’t we give you three months or three years?” Justice Ijaz Afzal, who headed the bench, remarked.

The panel dismissed the PML-N leader’s request, ordering him to file his response by Feb.13. The hearing was adjourned till that date.

Meanwhile, the apex court refused to entertain an appeal from PML-N leader Nihal Hashmi against his conviction and disqualification on the charges of contempt of court.

The court registrar office returned Hashmi’s appeal against the top court’s Feb.1 judgement, raising three objections. Hashmi, through his counsel Kamran Murtaza, filed the appeal for suspension of the court order.

Murtaza said that the registrar office objected to the facts that the power of attorney was not signed by the applicant, nor was a certified copy of the judgement attached. He said the appeal was being filed now, after removing all objections, adding that Hashmi was still in Adiala jail Rawalpindi.

In his appeal, Hashmi argued that since one member of the bench — Justice Dost Muhammad Khan — abstained, a new panel is required to be constituted to conduct fresh hearings.