Lahore: The Lahore High Court has issued notice to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for making an "anti-judiciary" remarks in an "inflammatory" speech in Sialkot. Notice was also issued to the government and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) when the court heard a petition alleging that the Prime Minister had termed the Supreme Court's Panama Papers decision a "piece of trash".
Advocate Azhar Siddiqi filed the petition, arguing that Abbasi's remarks amounted to contempt of court, Dawn reported. Presenting his case in the court of Justice Shahid Kareem, the petitioner said that by making such an "inflammatory statement, the PM was trying to make the judiciary controversial".
He said ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam had also openly criticised the apex court and its judges in their speeches, and tried to whip up public sentiment against the judiciary. The petitioner said now Abbasi had also started raging against the apex court, in violation of the oath he took when he assumed the office of Prime Minister.
He requested the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against PM Abbasi and said that Pemra should be directed to stop news channels from airing the prime minister's speeches targeting the judiciary. The court sought replies from Abbasi and his government by the next hearing scheduled for January 15.
