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       LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought arguments on the point of maintainability of a petition seeking contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his alleged derogatory remarks about judges.

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       During the hearing, Justice Waheed Khan questioned the legal basis for filing such a petition against the prime minister.

       Deputy Attorney General Raja Khurram argued that under Article 248 of the Constitution, the prime minister enjoys immunity, and as long as PM Shehbaz holds office, the petition cannot be entertained.

       The judge directed the federal government’s lawyer to present copies of the relevant Supreme Court’s decisions and present arguments why the petition was not maintainable.

       The judge also advised petitioner Ashba Kamran, who filed the petition in person, to engage a lawyer for better representation before the court.

       The petitioner contended that granting immunity does not give anyone the right to make derogatory remarks. She sought contempt of court proceedings against PM Shehbaz for his alleged offensive statements about the judges of the superior judiciary.

       OBJECTION: The Lahore High Court registrar office on Thursday returned a petition filed by a woman activist against PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

       Petitioner Ashba Kamran sought action against Bilawal and the NA speaker for alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Election Act 2017.

       The office stated in its objection that Bilawal was elected as an MNA from Sindh, making it inappropriate for the Lahore High Court to entertain a petition against him.

       The office returned the petition to the petitioner, saying territorial jurisdiction issue is the primary reason for rejecting the petition’s admissibility.

       The petitioner states that Bilawal is the head of PPP but he contested the election on the ticket of PPP (Parliamentarians), which, she believes, violates the law.

       Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024