In an unexpected development, PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz — who had been declared disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after being found in contempt of court — on Wednesday withdrew his plea against the disqualification verdict.

He was unwilling to share his reason for the decision.

The apex court had held the outspoken PML-N leader in contempt on June 28 and sentenced him till the rising of the court.

The sentence rendered him disqualified from contesting elections for a period of five years under Article 63(1)(g) of the Constitution, which states: "[...] a person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), if­ he has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction...unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release".

Subsequently, on August 4, the PML-N leader had filed an appeal against his conviction and disqualification from contesting elections. In his appeal, Aziz had denied ever saying the words for which he was held in contempt.

"I never said the words that were written in the newspaper and for which I was held in contempt," he had claimed while talking to the media.

The PML-N leader had further claimed that the 'problematic' phrases on the basis of which he was held in contempt were also censored with a beep when they were aired in news bulletins, which, according to Aziz, was akin to him not having said them at all.

"I never violated the court's orders," he said. "In fact, me and my party — the PML-N — have always implemented the court's orders. To disagree is our right, we have always done that and will keep on doing it."

Case history

On February 7 this year, the apex court had issued a notice to Aziz for contempt of court for an 'anti-judiciary' speech made by him.

On March 13, the SC had indicted Aziz in the contempt case. The proceedings were held under the Contempt of the Court Ordinance 2003, read with Article 204 of the Constitution, against Aziz for making derogatory and contemptuous speeches and statements against the apex court which were also telecast by different television channels.

The SC bench had observed that Aziz was "committed to scandalising the court". Aziz had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

The charges against him were that Aziz had accused Supreme Court Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Sep 8, 2017 of summoning NAB authorities to Lahore and directing them to prepare corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his family members and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.