Petition to initiate treason case against Nawaz submitted in LHC

Petitioner requests the court to initiate proceedings under Article 6 against Sharif

NEWS DESK: A petition was submitted in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday to register a treason case against deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif following his controversial remarks on Mumbai attacks, reported Express News.

The petition, filed by advocate Aftab Virk on behalf of Pakistan Awaami Tehreek's (PAT) Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, alleges that Nawaz's statement is against national security and state institutions. The petition also prayed upon the court to initiate proceedings under Article 6 of the Constitution against him.

Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal is also mentioned as a respondent in the petition apart from Nawaz.

Nawaz on May 12, during an interview with a local daily, had stated that “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?”

“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.

His remarks were immediately picked up by Indian media, which termed the former prime minister’s statement as a confession of Pakistan’s role in the Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead.

 Opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), launched a broadside against Sharif, calling him a security threat.

Even PML-N stalwart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the former interior minister, did not endorse Sharif’s statement. He held India responsible for the delay in the trial of the Mumbai attack suspects.