The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday took a suo motu notice of "contemptuous speeches" against judiciary made by PML-N leader and state minister Talal Chaudhry.

The court will hear the matter against the state minister for interior affairs on February 6, when Chaudhry has also been asked to appear.

During his speech at PML-N's rally in Jarranwala last week, Chaudhry had said: "There was an era when the Kaabah was full of idols. Today, the judiciary, which is the country's highest institution, is also full of PCO [Provisional Constitution Order] idols."

"Mian Nawaz Sharif, throw them out, throw him out of the court. They will not give justice but will continue their injustices."

He said that despite Sharif — the PML-N head — doing so much for the country, "They say that somebody else should become the prime minister."

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has already served notices to Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Rana Sanaullah in a contempt of court petition regarding the same gathering.

Earlier in the day, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court found Senator Nehal Hashmi guilty of committing contempt of court. The court sentenced him to one-month imprisonment, barred him from holding public office for the next five years, and imposed a fine of Rs50,000.

Read: 'Nehal Hashmi is a firebrand speaker but he spewed fire in the wrong direction'

In May 2017, as a Supreme Court-mandated joint investigation team was probing the Sharif family's business dealings in the Panama Papers case, Hashmi had warned that those conducting the investigation would be "taken to task" for grilling the premier's family. The video of Hashmi's remarks had gone viral on social media and was also aired on news channels.

In December 2017, Sharif had also lashed out at the “PCO judges” who disqualified him and termed him dishonest.

Addressing a public meeting at the Ayub Stadium, he bitterly criticised the decision “made by five individuals” to oust a “thrice elected premier”.

“Those who had taken the oath under the PCO called me dishonest, those who had sworn in dictators,” he told the crowd at an event held to mark the 44th death anniversary of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) founder Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai.

Former president general Pervez Musharraf brought two PCOs — in 1999 and in 2007 — briefly suspending the constitution.

A case against judges who took oath under the November 2007 PCO was dismissed last month by a bench headed by the chief justice.