Senator Nehal Hashmi (right). Photo: File 

KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court approved Senator Nehal Hashmi?s bail request on Thursday, directing him to furnish a security bond of Rs200,000.

During the hearing, Hashmi?s counsel informed the court that the investigation officer included terrorism charges in the challan 35 days after registering the FIR.

The speech was held at a closed-door event and only part of it was leaked, the counsel added.

The hearing was later adjourned till July 21.

An FIR was registered against Hashmi at the Bahadurabad Police Station on the instructions of the federal government after a controversial speech of his was leaked to the media on May 31.

In the speech, Hashmi allegedly threatened members of the Supreme Court and the Panama case joint investigation team.

The Supreme Court took a suo motu notice of the speech and initiated contempt proceedings against Hashmi.

Following the controversy, Hashmi was suspended from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and asked to resign from his Senate seat, however, he has refused to do so.

Hashmi claims his speech was distorted, and that he could never imagine maligning the judiciary.