Nawaz Sharif put on notice for raging against judges

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notice to ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other respondents on a petition seeking contempt proceedings against him for raging against the judges of the Supreme Court, ARY News reported.

The court also issued notices to foreign minister Khawaja Asif, Pakistan Railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafiqu and 12 other PML-N leaders to file their comments till Aug 25.

Advocate Azhar Siddiqui approached the LHC seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Sharif for consistently criticizing the Supreme Court judges who disqualified him as prime minister for being dishonest.

While addressing the participants of his homecoming rally en route to Lahore on the historic GT Road, Nawaz Sharif for the umpteenth time took aim at the judges who had given the disqualification verdict in the Panamagate case. He said, “I was voted in prime minister by 200 million people while five honorable judges sent me packing.”

He told the participants, “the Supreme Court’s verdict was an insult to their vote. It had lowered Pakistan’s standing in the international community.”

The petitioner contended that Sharif criticized and held the judges of the Supreme Court in contempt for disqualifying him. His speech is an attack on the top court and breach of the Constitution, he added.

Siddiqui complained that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) did not take any action against news channels for airing his contemptuous remarks.

He pleaded the court to initiate contempt of the court proceedings against the ousted prime minister under Article 204 of the Constitution and restrain the news channels from airing his speech targeting the judiciary.

When asked about exhausting other available remedies before approaching the court, the petitioner said he repeatedly complained Pemra about telecasting of Sharif’s contemptuous remarks but to no avail.

Supreme Court through a verdict dated July 28 had disqualified Nawaz Sharif for concealing his salary from a Dubai-based company.