Nawaz, Maryam booked for ‘criminal conspiracy’

LAHORE: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) pertaining to criminal conspiracy for the “provocative” speeches he made from London to “defame” Pakistan’s institutions, it emerged on Monday.

The FIR registered against Sharif on October 1 was lodged by a citizen namely Babar Rasheed in the Shahdara police station. The FIR alleges that the former prime minister in his speeches supported the policies of India and claimed that Sharif wanted to give the impression that Pakistan will be listed in the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list in its upcoming meeting.

Sections 120 A and B; 121 A and B; 123 A and B; and 124 A and B have been inserted among other provisions in the FIR which states that Sharif had conspired against Pakistan’s prestigious institutions by making provocative speeches while being in London. The purpose of those speeches was to declare Pakistan a state of hooligans, it claimed.

The FIR claims that Sharif in his speeches wanted to divert the attention of Indian forces’ atrocities in occupied Kashmir and India’s occupation of the territory.

“Sharif’s speech was aimed to indirectly benefit his friend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the FIR states while alleging that the former prime minister’s speeches defamed Pakistan’s high courts and armed forces in front of the international community. The FIR further states that Sharif is a convict and the law of the country does not allow him to carry out such kind of speeches.

Those nominated in the FIR included PML-N’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz and other senior leaders—Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan, Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chaudhry Muhammad Barjeez Tahir, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khawaja Muhammad Saad Rafique, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Senator Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum, Senator Lt Gen (retd) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan, Mian Javed Latif, Shaista Parvez Malik, Engineer Amir Muqam, Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Senator Saleem Zia, Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal Gujjar, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Uzma Zahid Bukhari, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Senator Begum Najma Hamid, Senator Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Begum Rahila Hameed, Tariq Razaq Chaudhry, Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Dr Miftah Ismail, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbassi, Danial Aziz, Saira Afzal Tarar, Irfan Siddiqui and Ataullah Tarar.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has said all the PML-N leaders who have been nominated in the case should be arrested by the police. “Punjab Police have rightly filed a case against PML-N leaders…Police should form teams for immediate arrest of all the accused,” he stated.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the telecast of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif’s speeches on media and declared it as non maintainable.

The court declared that the petitioner could not satisfy the bench that how Sharif’s speech had damaged his basic rights. Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked why such matters were used to be dragged in courts when there were Parliament and security institutions in the country.

The petitioner pleaded that the former prime minister had given controversial remarks against state institutions in his speeches on September 20. He said the people had to approach the courts when they did not get relief from the institutions.The chief justice said the petitioner should have moved to relevant forum as there was the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) operating in the country.