PTI decides to invoke Hudood laws against PML-N lawmaker

Javed Latif apologises to Murad Saeed for his slanderous comments

ISLAMABAD: The row between the PML-N and the PTI escalated after the latter announced on Friday it would use all available parliamentary tools against the ruling party’s MNA Javed Latif for his unsavoury remarks against PTI’s Murad Saeed family members.

The party said it would file a Qazf (False accusation of adultery) case against Latif in the Shariat Court of Swat. Under the Hudood Ordinance 1979, a Qazf case is filed against someone who ‘accuses a chaste man or woman of adultery or homosexuality’.



A heated argument between members of the rival parties during an NA session on Thursday led to a brawl near the gates of the lower house. Latif slapped Saeed during the brawl after the house proceedings, while Saeed punched him in the face.

Earlier on the floor, Latif termed PTI chief Imran Khan a ‘traitor’ and a ‘madman’. Later, addressing the media outside the assembly, he used slanderous and objectionable language against Saeed’s sisters.

Discussing the incident, a meeting of senior PTI leaders concluded that the party would adopt an ‘aggressive strategy’ in the National Assembly, the Senate and three provincial assemblies over the issue.

This includes submission of a reference with the National Assembly speaker seeking disqualification of the MNA and tabling separate resolutions in the upper house of parliament and three provincial assemblies, condemning the slanderous remarks passed by Latif against Saeed’s family members.

Dr Arif Alvi, a senior PTI leader who attended the meeting, told The Express Tribune that “the NA speaker will be asked to take action against Javed Latif as he has violated Article 35 of the Constitution.”

He said by levelling false allegations against the family members of the PTI lawmaker, Latif has broken all moral values and violated Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Although by late night on Friday, the ruling party MNA tendered an apology for his comments to the fellow lawmaker, the PTI continues to taunt the MNA and the PML-N on moral grounds.

The issue has already overshadowed the controversy triggered by Imran’s ‘phateechar’ remarks about foreign players who participated in the PSL final match in Lahore last week.

The senior PTI leaders meeting, which was chaired by Imran Khan, also decided that the PTI’s women wing would make all-out arrangements to observe ‘Respect-Women Day’ [Youm-e-Tazeem-e-Niswan] throughout the country.



A press statement issued by the party’s central media wing quoted Khan as saying that “Javed Latif through his heinous comments attacked the very basic unit of society”.

Khan also appealed civic society and people from different segments of society to come forward and record their protest over the matter.

The party also announced that it would continue social and political boycott of Javed Latif.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2017.