SC moved to act against Sharif for raging against judges

LAHORE: A civil rights activist on Saturday took ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif to the Supreme Court for raging against the judiciary, ARY News reported.

Syed Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi filed the petition, requesting the apex court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Sharif for railing against the Supreme Court judges for disqualifying him as prime minister.

In his petition, he submitted that Sharif while addressing the participants of his homecoming rally at GT Road constantly criticized the judges over the verdict in the Panama Papers case.

His criticism of the judiciary was contempt of court and flagrant violation of the constitution which prohibited any criticism against the two institutions –  judiciary and Pakistan army. Thus, he pleaded with the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Sharif and restrain him from criticizing the judges.

A day earlier, Advocate Azhar Siddiqui had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Sharif.

The petitioner had submitted 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 argued.

Siddiqui complained that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) was reluctant to take any action against news channels 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.

While addressing a crowd at Sohawa, the disqualified prime minister took aim at the judges who handed down guilty verdict against him. He said, “I become prime minister through votes while five honorable judges sent me packing.”