Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Monday rejected a petition seeking registration of a criminal case against Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for declaring Dr Babar Awan ‘liable to be killed’. Petitioner’s counsel, Ansar Mehmood, had made the Punjab law minister and provincial and federal governments respondents in the case. During the hearing on Monday, the LHC CJ observed that Ansar had no locus-standi because he was not the affected party in the case. The LHC CJ said, “If Awan had an objection against the statement and he wanted the registration of FIR against Sanaullah, he should himself file the petition in this regard; other people can not file such a petition.”
Ansar requested the court to allow him to withdraw the petition and the request was granted. In the written verdict, the petition was marked as disposed on withdrawal request. In the petition, the petitioner had claimed that the law minister, by his statement, had attempted to instigate public on murder and anarchy, which was a heinous offence under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). He submitted that the law minister, who his supposed to be responsible for law and order in the province, gave a statement ignoring his position and authority, therefore FIR should registered against him.
