The Anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday has indicted former senator Faisal Raza Abidi in the case pertaining to contemptuous remarks against the chief justice of Pakistan.
The court also summoned witnesses in the next hearing after the accused pleaded not guilty in the case.
The accused was detained in on October 10 outside the Supreme Court when he appeared for a hearing of a suo motu case regarding anti-judiciary remarks made by him in an interview that was aired on a local news channel.
An FIR was registered against Faisal Raza in the Secretariat Police Station under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). It also included sections 500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 505 (II) (statements conducing to public mischief), 228 (intentional insult or interruption to public servant sitting in judicial proceeding), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the state) and 109 (punishment of abetment if act abetted in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR alleged former senator of using “highly insulting and inappropriate language” against the chief justice and the judiciary in the TV interview. It also accused him of “undermining the honour of the chief justice [and] inciting the public”.
This was the third case that has been registered against Faisal Raza for defamation of judiciary and usage of threatening language.