The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has suspended the notification of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet regarding registration of cases against PDM leadership for hate speech, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The PHC on Friday issued notices to KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, the provincial government and the cabinet and in this regard, directing them to respond by September 13.

It may be recalled that the KP provincial government’s notification for the empowerment of a government official in Dera Ismail Khan district to register cases against the PDM leaders on the charge of spreading hate against state institutions was challenged in the high court in Peshawar.

Senior lawyer Shabbir Hussain Gigyani filed the petition requesting the court to declare null and void the August 9 notification of the KP government.

Earlier, at the behest of former prime minister and PTI Chief Imran Khan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police registered sedition cases under Section 153 against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

In a tit-for-tat manner, the Dera Ismail Khan police in response to cases against PTI leader Shahbaz Gill booked Nawaz Sharif, Zardari and Maulana Fazl in sedition cases. 

The coalition trio has been accused of defaming the Army leadership thus committing treason. 

The case was filed on the complaint of Ali Amin Gundapur and revenue magistrate Munir Ahmad under high treason sections 153, 353, 505, 108, 120 and 109. 

Plea against Sharif brothers

A petition seeking contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his brother former premier Nawaz Sharif has been filed in a court in Islamabad, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday. 

The petition stated that PM Shehbaz gave his undertaking to the Lahore High Court and became a guarantor that his brother would come back after getting his medical treatment from abroad. But Nawaz Sharif did not return despite Shehbaz’s undertaking. 

The petition further stated that Nawaz was a proclaimed offender in various cases beseeching the court to start contempt proceedings against both the Sharif siblings. 

The petition also requested the court to issue orders for bringing Nawaz back to country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, interior ministry and foreign ministry have been made respondents in the case. 

Reporters Sajid Baloch and Ehtisham Kiyani