Pak crackdown on oppn continues: Sedition case against Nawaz Sharif, PoK ‘PM’ and graft charges on Asif Ali Zardari
The developments came the Pakistan Democracy Movement, a joint front of 11 opposition parties, were preparing for a massive rally against Prime Minister Imran Khan later this month.
Ahead of a planned opposition rally, Pakistan government on Monday registered a sedition case against former premier Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam and Pakistan occupied Kashmir ‘premier’ Raja Mohammad Farooq Ahmed Khan. Separately, a court in Islamabad charged former president Asif Ali Zardari in two corruption cases.
The Lahore police filed a first information report (FIR) against Sharif, Maryam and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for conspiring against the state and its institutions a day after Sharif’s son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar was booked under sedition charges for “provoking the people against the state and its institutions.” The FIR also named three retired generals of the Pakistan Army.
Journalist Hamid Mir tweeted on Monday that Prime Minister Imran Khan “always claimed to be an ambassador of Kashmiris but look at this FIR registered by Punjab police, they booked elected PM of AJK @farooq_pm under treason charges along with @NawazSharifMNS and three retired Lt Generals of Pak Army Face.”
The FIR alleged that Sharif had conspired against Pakistan’s prestigious institutions by making provocative speeches from London, on a complaint registered by a citizen, Badar Rasheed.
It alleged that in the speeches made on September 20 and October 1, the former premier supported the policies of India so that Pakistan would continue to remain on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) ‘grey list’ over lack of compliance on money laundering and terror financing.
The complainant said that the main purpose of Sharif’s speeches was to isolate Pakistan in front of the international community and to declare it a rogue state. He added that Sharif is trying to turn the people against the democratically elected government of Imran Khan.
The aim of the speeches was also to divert attention from “human rights violations” in Kashmir to benefit Sharif’s “friend” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the complainant alleged.
