ISLAMABAD: Former senator Nehal Hashmi looked a different man on Monday from the one who appeared before the Supreme Court on June 1.

When he last appeared before the three-judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Mr Hashmi looked tense, nervous and embarrassed.

But when asl(ed about his reply to the contempt case on Monday, he came up to the rostrum of Courtroom No. 2 and declared confidently: `I feel the court will stand by me.

The Supreme Court had initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader for his uncharitable remarks, where he appeared to threaten members of the joint investigation team (JIT) and the judiciary for probing allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

However, after a brief hearing, Mr Hashmi managed to secure time until June 16, when he will be required to submit his reply to the show case notice issued to him on June 1.

Additional Attorney GeneralMuhammad Waqar Rana appeared as prosecutor in place of Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf, who left for the Netherlands on Monday morning.

Mr Hashmi, who tendered his resignation from the Senate soon after he was sacked by the PML-N leadership, sought more time to submit a comprehensive reply, saying he had yet to engage a counsel since no lawyer was coming forward to help him.

`I have earned my bread and butter as a lawyerfor the last 30 years and even suffered during the lawyers` movement,` he recalled, adding that he always had endeavoured to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution.

`I am the one being victimised,` he emphasised, and requested the top court to grant him time until the Eid holidays to submit a comprehensive reply, since he also intended to undertake a pilgrimage in this time.

At this, Justice Khan observed that while the court appreciated him `going to church on Sunday`, in this case the situation seemed to be reversed.

When the hearing was adjourned for June 12, Mr Hashmi pleaded again to furtheradvance the date,ashe had an `Iftar party` scheduled on that day.

`It seems you were taking this important case lightly,` Justice Ijaz-ulAhsan observed, reminding Mr Hashmi that he had a copy of his reply in hand when he last appeared before the court.

But the former senator explained that he did not have access to a tran-script of the video where he was shown hurling threats at the judiciary and pleaded that the court allow the screening of his entire 14-minute speech, delivered on May 28.

At this, Justice Khan observed that Mr Hashmi would get the maximum possible time to vindicate himself.

Before the commencement of the hearing, Mr Hashmi told reporters that he would contest the case and would even show what code of conduct isexpected ofjudges.

But in his media talk outside the Supreme Court premises, he recalled the time when the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was camped outside parliament.

He kept claiming that his remarl(s were being presented in a distorted manner and demanded that the complete speech be played before the apex court so that it became clear who he was attacking in his speech.

Mr Hashmi also sought a postponement from Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, who had called him to his chambers to ascertain whether Mr Hashmi tendered his resignation voluntarily or under duress.

The ex-senator was under notice to appear before the chairman in his chambers at 10am, but at 9:45am the chairman received an application from Mr Hashmi seeking the postponement of his appearance for a variety of reasons. The chairman has fixed the next date of appearance as June 7.