The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar to appear before the bench on November 26 in response to his speech against courts and judiciary, the day the party was called Away from his long march
Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench Justice Jawad Hassan today heard the petition filed by the Additional Registrar of Rawalpindi Registry against the PTI leader’s speech against the judiciary.
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner, CPO and Advocate Faisal Chaudhry – appeared in the court on behalf of the defendant in the case.
During the hearing, Justice Hasan remarked that Umar had targeted the courts and judges in his November 26 speech.
The court remarked that Asad Umar defamed the courts and used insulting words against the judiciary in his speech in the November 26 rally.
It states that first age speech will be evaluated.
Justice Hasan remarked that under Article 14 of the Constitution no institution or personality can be made controversial, the court has the power to punish under Article 204 (b) of the Constitution.
He summoned the PTI leader to the court in his personal capacity for the upcoming hearing and demanded the video transcript of Umar’s speech.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing of the case till December 7.
What did Umar say?
Addressing PTI’s long march in Rawalpindi on November 26, Umar said that the nation can see that the doors of justice are closed even in the Supreme Court.
“The judges had trouble when they had to change their route [due to the road closure],” he said.
Talking about the assassination attack on Khan, the PTI leader said that the chairman of the largest party was shot but no FIR was registered.
He said that the nation does not see justice in this country.
Long March
PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan along with his supporters and party leaders launched the ‘Azadi March’ on October 28 against the current government to force early elections in the country.
The march started from Lahore and was supposed to end in Islamabad, but was called off after the party chief survived an assassination attempt during a public gathering in Wazirabad on November 3.
Both Khan’s legs were injured in the assassination attack, halting the anti-government march in the federal capital. He was shifted to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center in Lahore where he was treated for gunshot wounds and leg fractures.
The march was later resumed from the same location but led by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, as Khan announced that he would join the march from Rawalpindi. He has since been addressing the march participants via video link.
However, Khan called off his party’s long march on 26 November and announced no advance towards Islamabad. He announced the dissolution of all assemblies, saying that he did not want to be a part of “this system”.
