LAHORE – Lahore High Court (LHC) imposed ban on live coverage of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s chief Altaf Hussain on Monday.
According to details, LHC announced the verdict against the speeches of Altaf Hussain and banned the live coverage to the speeches of Altf Hussain.
LHC announced the verdict against MQM chief for his anti-Pakistan statement.
In a petition filed in the LHC, Advocate Aftab Virk had pleaded that the MQM chief should be tried for treason under Article 6 of the constitution for his remarks against the Pakistan Army.
The plaintiff further told court that the interior and information ministries failed to take appropriate action against him. The petition maintained that Altaf was in violation of Article 5 which asks for showing loyalty to the state and obedience to the constitution.
Hence a case of treason should be registered against the MQM chief under Article 6 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Additionally, the court sought record of Hussain’s speeches in the past from the additional advocate general (AAG) and the advocate general of Punjab.
The hearing was subsequently adjourned till September 7. Workers and supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on August 21 had gathered in front of the Karachi Press Club to protest against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for allegedly imposing an unannounced ban on airing Altaf Hussain’s speeches on television channels. Speaking on the occasion, senior MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar had said that the Pemra ban on Mr Hussain’s speeches was unjust.
The freedom of expression was being blocked in Karachi as authorities were not willing to tolerate voices of dissent, he had added. In July, FIRs were registered in different parts of the country against Altaf Hussain for remarks made by him against the chief of Rangers in Sindh and the paramilitary force in recent speeches. In the FIRs, Hussain was accused of involvement in cases of criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting or abetting the waging of war against Pakistan and committing acts of terrorism.
In April, Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations Major-General Asim Bajwa had said that earlier statements made by the MQM chief regarding the Pakistan Army would be legally pursued.
Hussain has been living in self-imposed exile in Britain since 1992 military crackdown in Karachi and obtained British citizenship a decade later.
From his base in London, Hussain has been a towering figure within the party, addressing massive street rallies attended by tens of thousands in Karachi through a loudspeaker connected to a telephone.
Last month, several cases were registered against him at different police stations under terrorism laws over a speech criticising the military establishment.
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