LHC to take up contempt petition against Maryam Nawaz tomorrow

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) is set to take up a contempt of court petition filed against Maryam Nawaz – daughter of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – on Monday (tomorrow).

The petition has been filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique, adopting a stance that Maryam has been assassinating the character of judges through her tweets.

The petitioner asserted that Maryam has been making derogatory remarks against the judiciary and other state institutions, besides holding the judges up to ridicule in her statements.

Defaming the judges of the superior courts apart from hitting at institutions is a criminal offense which comes under sedition laws, the petitioner contended in the petition.

Earlier on Oct 3, Maryam had directly criticised the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s July 28 verdict in Panama papers case which led to her father’s disqualification from premiership.

In a series of tweets, Maryam Nawaz compared senior judges’ remarks in a disqualification petition against Imran Khan with the apex court’s handling and verdict in Panama papers case and objected upon their conduct.

The tweets criticised the judges of the Supreme Court. The analysts then viewed Maryam’s tweets as clear contempt of court.

It is apropos to highlight here that the PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi has petitioned Supreme Court against PTI Chief Imran Khan and secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen over non-disclosure of assets, existence of offshore companies, seeking their disqualification.