CORRECTS - Pakistan: Top court disqualifies another politician

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - The country's top court on Thursday disqualified a key leader of jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party from holding any public office for five years, local media reported.

Tall Chaudhry, former minister of state for interior, was convicted in a contempt of court case.

According to Geo News, the Supreme Court handed down a symbolic sentence to Chaudhry "till the rising of the court" and fined him for Rs 100,000 ($813).

The verdict announced by a three-member bench said Chaudhry used derogatory language against the judiciary in his speech in a party rally in Jaranwala, a town of southeastern Punjab province, in January this year.

Chaudhry lost the July 25 general election from Faisalabad, the country's textile hub.

He is the third leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who has been sentenced by the top court for anti-judiciary speeches.

Earlier this year, the top court disqualified Sharif for life in the Panama paper case.

On June 28, Supreme Court disqulified former federal minister Danyal Aziz and barred him from contesting the election in a contempt of court proceeding.

Earlier in February, Senator Nehal Hashmi, close aide of former premier Sharif, was sent to jail for a month on contempt charges over his speech against the judiciary in Karachi.