LAHORE - City police on Tuesday clarified that the First Information Report (FIR) registered on Monday against PMLN supremo and former PM Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders for “conspiring to wage war against Pakistan” was lodged on the complaint of a citizen. The criminal case that triggered heated debate among rival politicians was registered with the Shahdara police station.  

“The state or its institutions have nothing to do with the filing of the FIR. They are not the complainant,” a police spokesperson said in a written statement. 

The FIR was registered by Lahore police against PMLN leaders including Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, AJP Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and two retired army generals under Section 10 (cyber-terrorism) of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (2016) and sections 120-A (definition of criminal conspiracy), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war against Pakistan), 123-A (condemning the creation of the country and advocating the abolishment of its sovereignty), 124-A (sedition) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case was registered on the complaint of Badar Rasheed, a local resident. In the FIR, the complainant alleged that Nawaz Sharif, who has been convicted on corruption charges by Pakistani courts, delivered “hateful speeches” against the state and its institutions while addressing the multiparty conference (MPC) on September 20 and his party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) and Central Executive Committee (CEC) on October 1. 

The FIR also stated that PML-N’s senior leaders who were attending these meetings endorsed Nawaz’s speeches by raising their hands.

The police spokesperson further said that in fact, the FIR (3022/20) was registered against the PMLN leaders for inciting violence in the country. “The case is being investigated keeping in view all aspects of the incident including evidences and legal formalities. No action will be taken against any innocent person or persons,” the spokesperson said. He said the police are bound to register a case on the complaint of a citizen and all the relevant sections were applied according to the law.

Other PML-N leaders booked in the same case included former leader of the house in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, former speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-federal minister Khurram Dastgir, former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, former defence minister Khawaja Asif, former information minister Pervaiz Rashid, former law minister Rana Sanaullah, and former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq among others.

The police also rejected social media reports stating that  in reality, this case was registered on the request of a citizen, Badar Rasheed and different speculations were being made in the media were totally baseless.

“Dispensation of justice will be ensured at any cost in the case,” the statement said.