LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) was moved against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif over his continuous criticism of judiciary since his disqualification in the Panama case July 28 judgment.
A petition filed by advocate Azhar Siddique on Wednesday maintained that the former prime minister has launched a campaign against judiciary to disgrace it and he has done so on various occasions.
Even though the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) was barred from telecasting Nawaz Sharif’s anti-judiciary speeches, most news channels had broadcast his Tuesday speech where he indulged in criticism against the judiciary, the petition read, adding that Nawaz’s aforementioned speech was parallel to an attack on the Supreme Court.
Nawaz appeared before the accountability court on Tuesday pertaining to references filed against him by the NAB in various corruption cases. Hours after the hearing, he addressed a press conference, saying that he served two sentences at the hand of dictators but didn’t bow down. “Today I’ve again been deprived of my right to challenge the [court] verdict,” Nawaz lamented.
He said, “I beg to let the country run as per Constitution”, adding that he was fighting for his right and would keep on contesting his case and “it will be people’s victory in the end”.
“Court suspiciously formed a joint investigation team and announced a verdict. It [court] then ordered the National Accountability Bureau to break its regulations and file reference against me,” Nawaz told reporters. “It’s high time to find solutions to menaces eroding the country from within for 70 years”, Nawaz said, adding, “I fear this crisis could cost Pakistan dearly.”
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) spokesman Fawad Chaudhry also criticised Nawaz Sharif for “ridiculing” the Supreme Court’s verdict that disqualified him, saying this was unprecedented in the Pakistan’s history.
