Daily Times

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday formed a full bench to hear petitions demanding ban on transmission of contemptuous speeches of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz.

Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi will head the three-judge bench – which would also include Justice Atir Mahmood and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan – tasked to hear several high-profile petitions during the next week.

Justice Mazahir will lead the hearing of the contempt of court petition filed against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and various Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders.

On the other hand, petitions requesting ban of contemptuous speeches of the respondents would be heard by Justice Shahid Karim.

Earlier, civil society activist Amna Malik had filed petitions via her counsel Azhar Siddique saying that all the respondents were continuously attacking the judges of Supreme Court.

The counsel said Nawaz Sharif as well as other leaders of the PML-N were trying to discredit the superior judiciary.

He said that the applicant had continuously pointed out and highlighted the contemptuous remarks by disqualified former prime minister and others which also went on air through some media channels but PEMRA never took action against those propagating and misreporting the judicial proceedings.

It was further added that Nawaz, Maryam, Talal Chaudhry and Daniyal Aziz had criticised Supreme Court judges and their Panama verdict on February 4 at a public gathering in Peshawar.