42 PML-N men dropped from FIR as sedition probe against Sharif begins

Police have also removed four serious charges from FIR on pretext of contradiction with content of FIR

LAHORE:

Special investigation team of Punjab police has initiated inquiry into sedition case against PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

However, in a major development on Saturday the police have now decided to exclude the names of all other senior party leaders including Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and many others from the first information report (FIR) for want of evidence.

The FIR was registered at Lahore’s Shahdara Police Station on the complaint of an allegedly private citizen Badar Rasheed.

The decision came a day after Punjab police chief Inam Ghani formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe into the allegations of sedition levelled against almost the top PML-N leadership.

Besides this, the police officials have also removed the four serious charges from the FIR on the pretext of contradiction with the content of FIR.

The sections which have been excluded include 121-A (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 123-A (condemnation of the creation of the state, and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) section 124-(assaulting president, governor etc with intention to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power), Section 124-A (sedition), Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups).

According to police spokesperson Sheikh Imran Anwar the special investigation team has recorded the statement of plaintiff, Badar Rasheed and reviewed the content of speeches delivered by Nawaz.

The convicted former prime minister broke his long silence at the PPP-hosted all-party conference (APC) on September 20, declaring that the opposition was not up against Prime Minister Imran Khan but those who had “brought him into power” in 2018.

Nawaz had also accused the military establishment and other state institutions of meddling in the political affairs of the country.

The complainant claimed that Nawaz through his speeches delivered at the opposition’s multi-party conference and the PML-N’s Central Workers Committee and Central Executive Committee meetings on September 20 and October 1 respectively committed sedition and criminal conspiracy.

The complaint said Nawaz, the three-time premier, had been making hateful and provocative speeches under a well thought criminal conspiracy from London against Pakistan and its institutions to bring a bad name to them

The police spokesperson said the probe into the allegations will be carried out in accordance with the law and available evidence against the accused.

The spokesperson added that there are still eight more clauses part of the lawsuit which include conspiracy to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the country, inciting public violence through electronic media and others.