LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday rejected petitions seeking initiation of treason proceedings against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for his controversial statement on Mumbai attacks.
Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza on Wednesday had reserved the verdict regarding maintainability of the petitions filed by General Secretary Pakistan Awami Tehreek Khurram Nawaz Gandapur and another by Chairman Pakistan Zindabad Party Aftab Virk Advocate.
The high court, in its verdict, directed the petitioners to move the right forum in this regard.
The petitioners contended that the statement given by Sharif was against national security and state institutions and pleaded the court to start high treason proceedings against him under Article 6 of the Constitution
The petitioners had also made Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal as respondent in the petition.
Sharif in an exclusive interview with a local English daily slammed the slow probe and questioned the authorities who allowed the Mumbai attacks ‘to take place from Pakistan soil’.
“Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete the trial?” Sharif had asked in the interview.“We have isolated ourselves. Despite giving sacrifices, our narrative is not being accepted. Afghanistan’s narrative is being accepted, but ours is not. We must look into it,” he added.
The statement spread like a wildfire after it was carried by the Indian media and reported with more twists.
The National Security Committee, comprising top civil and military officials, also convened its meeting and rejected the remarks of Mr. Sharif in connection to the Mumbai attacks. However, hours later Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi addressed a press conference, which was not aired live by any TV channel for undisclosed reasons, and the PM insisted that Indian media misinterpreted the remarks uttered by the PML-N supreme leader.
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