The Lahore high court on Thursday dismissed petitions by opposition parties seeking treason proceedings against former premier Nawaz Sharif over his remarks on the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the policy of using Pakistan-based terrorists for cross-border assaults.

Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza threw out the petitions from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) and Pakistani Awami Tehreek (PAT). After hearing their arguments, the judge advised the petitioners to approach the proper forum for such a matter.

Two days after Sharif questioned the policy of using Pakistan-based militant groups for cross-border attacks during an interview with Dawn newspaper on May 12, a petition to register a treason case against Sharif was submitted in the court by Khurram Nawaz Gandapur of PAT.

Gandapur alleged Sharif’s statement went against national security and state institutions.

Reports have also emerged of Sharif’s remarks causing a division at the highest level of the ruling PML-N party. Sharif’s comments have already been condemned by the National Security Committee (NSC), the top civil and military body, but he has doubled down on his stance.

PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, who is also chief minister of Punjab, and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi failed to convince Sharif during a meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday to soften his stance towards the security establishment, The Express Tribune reported.

The daily quoted its sources in the PML-N as saying that a statement by Sharif posted on Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday regarding the NSC’S condemnation had alarmed Shehbaz Sharif and Abbasi.

“(The NSC’S) declaration is totally wrong and I reject it. I am not only a Pakistani citizen but the people of Pakistan also made me the prime minister of this country. Time has come to find out who took this country to where it is today. I know much and it’s high time the truth should come out in black and white,” the statement quoted Sharif as having said.

Despite the efforts by Shehbaz Sharif and Abbasi, the former premier was in no mood to mend fences with the security establishment and the judiciary and sounded more “bitter than before”, sources told the media. Sharif also showed no intention of issuing a retraction or explanation for his remarks.

Shehbaz Sharif assured PML-N lawmakers during a meeting on Thursday that Sharif would soften his stance.

The lawmakers were assured by Shehbaz Sharif that Sharif’s interview was taken out of context. Abbasi too said media reports had misquoted Sharif.

Imtiaz Ahmad letters@hindustantimes.com

Courtesy: Hindustan Times 18 May 2018