PML-N seeks case against interim Punjab set-up

Petitioner seeks case against Rana Sanaullah for controversial remarks on Hajj

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge on Saturday took up a petition filed by former Punjab education minister Rana Mashood, seeking to register a case against caretaker Chief Minister Hasan Askari and interior minister for their alleged role against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s leaders and workers, which the petitioner believes is equal to political victimisation.

Mashood, in his petition, contended that the interim set-up utilised its efforts against the PML-N leaders and its workers rather than handling state matters fairly.



He implored several forged cases had been registered against the PML-N’s top leadership and workers despite the fact that they had nothing to do with those sections under which the FIRs had been registered.

He further pleaded that the Punjab CM also affected the PML-N’s election campaign, contending that Askari and Minister for Interior Shaukat Sultan made all-out efforts to disperse their rally, they had taken out on the arrival of their party supremo and deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, using different tactics.

The petitioner also said that he had submitted an application with the Sherakot police but to no avail as the officials were not ready to take legal action against the interim set-up. He prayed the court to pass an order to the concerned SHO to register an FIR against key members of the caretaker set-up.



Controversial comments

Meanwhile, another additional district and sessions judge took up a petition, seeking registration of a blasphemy case against former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah, after he gave a controversial statement related to Hajj.

Petitioner Ayoub Awan contended that the former law minister allegedly mocked Islam by using such language against Hajj. He implored Sanaullah’s statement hurt sentiments of Muslims while senior advocate Azhar Siddique implored that his statement fell under Section 295A.

The petitioner prayed in his petition that an FIR be registered against the former provincial law minister and he be given a strict punishment in order to refrain the society from using such derogatory language against Hajj.