Sedition charges: LHC full bench issues notices to Nawaz, Abbasi

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) full bench on Monday issued notices to former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Nawaz Sharif seeking their replies and adjourned hearing till June 29.

As the bench, headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, resumed hearing, Advocate Azhar Siddique argued on behalf of the petitioner that the disqualified premier, Nawaz Sharif, during an interview to an English-language newspaper on May 11, 2018, stated that those who attacked a hotel in Mumbai actually belonged to Pakistan.

He said the anti-state statement of Nawaz Sharif, a three times prime minister of Pakistan, could be used against the country by its enemies. He said a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) was held to discuss the ‘misleading’ media statement of the disqualified prime minister. After the meeting, the then prime minister Abbasi met Nawaz Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership and minutes of the meeting. He said the act of PM Shahid Khaqan was a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct.

The counsel pleaded that the disqualified premier committed sedition by rejecting the statement of the NSC and was liable for an action, as directed in the Constitution as well as in the Pakistan Penal Code.

He asked the court to take stern action against Nawaz Sharif for trying to defame the state and state institutions through anti-state interviews and also against Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for allowing broadcasting of the stuff.

He also sought action against former prime minister Abbasi for violating his oath by disclosing the minutes of the NSC meeting and details to disqualified prime minister.

The bench issued notices to Abbasi, Sharif and journalist Cyril Almeida, who published the interview of the former prime minister. Hearing was adjourned till June 29.

Kasur rally

The full bench also reserved verdict on the contempt of court proceedings against two former parliamentarians of PML-N and four others involved in staging an anti-judiciary rally in Kasur.

Earlier, lawyers of the contemnors challenged the investigation of the prosecution, and also tendered an unconditional apology before the court.

The contemnors including former MNA Waseem Akhtar and former MPA Naeem Safdar, former municipal chairman Ayaz Khan, former vice-chairman Ahmad Latif, Nasir Khan and Jamil Khan were also present in the court. President of Kasur District Bar Association Mirza Naseem and others had filed the petitions pleading that the protest rally taken out by the parliamentarians and local government leaders affiliated with the ruling PML-N was a planned conspiracy against the institution of judiciary. The petitioners said the act of the respondent parliamentarians amounted to contempt of court and they were all liable to be punished under the law. They asked the court to also declare the respondents disqualified besides contempt proceedings against them.