Pak lawmaker arrested in treason case

Lahore, April 27

A Pakistani lawmaker was arrested here on Tuesday on charges of treason.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s close aide Javed Latif was arrested by the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Lahore Police after a sessions court rejected his pre-bail petition in the treason case.

According to the FIR, Latif defamed state institutions and passed hateful remarks against them.

He is also accused of talking about dismemberment of Pakistan in case anything happens to Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz.

“If anything happens to PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, the PML-N will not say Pakistan Khappay (stay united). PPP had made this slogan of Pakistan Khappay after assassination of Benazir Bhutto but the PMLN will not say this if anything happens to Maryam Nawaz,” Latif had said in a TV talk show.

He was talking in the backdrop of alleged “life threats” being given to Maryam for taking on the military establishment.

On March 20, Latif was booked on charges of treason and a case was registered against the the Member of National Assembly (MNA) on the complaint of a private citizen, Jameel Saleem.

During the court hearing, Latif’s told the judge that a “plan to assassinate Maryam” had been prepared and his client had talked about it in this context. He said even Sharif had said that a message to “smash” Maryam was conveyed to her.

The court rejected his bail plea observing that “the man who speaks against the mother land doesn’t deserve any concession”.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif condemned Latif’s arrest. “The arrests of party workers and political leaders show the government’s bewilderment,” he said in a statement. PTI