LHC issues notice on plea seeking sedition charges against Fazl
Civil miscellaneous petition says JUI-F leader delivered provocative, hate speeches
Lahore High Court. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti has issued notices to federal government on a civil miscellaneous application seeking a sedition case against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over delivering allegedly provocative and hate speeches.
The petition filed through advocate Nadeem Sarwar contended that the JUI-F chief while giving a two-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign, warned the government on Nov 1, that ‘millions of marchers’ had the capability to enter the PM House and arrest him.
It said on Nov 2, Fazl said, “They should have to believe that their writ on Pakistan has ended. You are no more the rulers of Pakistan. The writ is in our hand. We will now run the country.” The petition said members of the Azadi March were also seen waving flags associated with the Afghan Taliban.
“That language used by the JUI-F chief is highly seditious and prejudiced to the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan hence falls afoul of Article 19 of the Constitution as well as provisions of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) ordinance 2002,” it said.
The petition claimed that the provocative speeches delivered by the respondent are bringing into hatred and contempt the government established by law and the sacred institutions of Pakistan and exciting disaffection which calls for immediate action.
“That the vaulting ambition in the words of Shakespeare in Macbeth of our political leaders is the malady which has eaten away our body politics. Every leader in every party wants to become the prime minister and not want to work with reformative zeal for betterment of the country.
“This is well known to each and every citizen of Pakistan that Maulana Fazlur Rehman formed alliance with almost each and every political party before condemning and calling them anti-democratic parties just for the sake of ministries and perks and privileges.”
The petition questioned how a political party that was not able to win ten seats called itself representative of the entire nation; was threating to overthrow a government established by law and taking into its own hands writ of the government.
It said the JUI-F chief’s provocative and hate speeches would lead the country towards a law and order situation and no state could tolerate this. It said Article 6 of the Constitution and section 124-A PPC is very much clear and need to be applied against such person.
“He [Fazl] must be arrested immediately and be tried for high treason and sedition.”
It requested the court to order Pemra to issue instruction to all TV channels to not air provocative speeches of the respondent and other leaders who “are against the sovereignty, integrity, decency, morality and public order”.
It was further prayed that action may kindly be taken against the respondent for challenging the writ of the government and delivering hate, provocative and seditious speeches against the state. However, the court issuing notice to federation clubbed the case with the main petition in this regard.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti has issued notices to federal government on a civil miscellaneous application seeking a sedition case against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman over delivering allegedly provocative and hate speeches.
The petition filed through advocate Nadeem Sarwar contended that the JUI-F chief while giving a two-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign, warned the government on Nov 1, that ‘millions of marchers’ had the capability to enter the PM House and arrest him.
It said on Nov 2, Fazl said, “They should have to believe that their writ on Pakistan has ended. You are no more the rulers of Pakistan. The writ is in our hand. We will now run the country.” The petition said members of the Azadi March were also seen waving flags associated with the Afghan Taliban.
“That language used by the JUI-F chief is highly seditious and prejudiced to the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan hence falls afoul of Article 19 of the Constitution as well as provisions of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) ordinance 2002,” it said.
The petition claimed that the provocative speeches delivered by the respondent are bringing into hatred and contempt the government established by law and the sacred institutions of Pakistan and exciting disaffection which calls for immediate action.
“That the vaulting ambition in the words of Shakespeare in Macbeth of our political leaders is the malady which has eaten away our body politics. Every leader in every party wants to become the prime minister and not want to work with reformative zeal for betterment of the country.
“This is well known to each and every citizen of Pakistan that Maulana Fazlur Rehman formed alliance with almost each and every political party before condemning and calling them anti-democratic parties just for the sake of ministries and perks and privileges.”
The petition questioned how a political party that was not able to win ten seats called itself representative of the entire nation; was threating to overthrow a government established by law and taking into its own hands writ of the government.
It said the JUI-F chief’s provocative and hate speeches would lead the country towards a law and order situation and no state could tolerate this. It said Article 6 of the Constitution and section 124-A PPC is very much clear and need to be applied against such person.
“He [Fazl] must be arrested immediately and be tried for high treason and sedition.”
It requested the court to order Pemra to issue instruction to all TV channels to not air provocative speeches of the respondent and other leaders who “are against the sovereignty, integrity, decency, morality and public order”.
It was further prayed that action may kindly be taken against the respondent for challenging the writ of the government and delivering hate, provocative and seditious speeches against the state. However, the court issuing notice to federation clubbed the case with the main petition in this regard.