SC adjourns hate campaign case against Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned a petition against Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for an alleged hate campaign against the national institutions.
A two-member SC bench comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi adjourned the hearing on an application moved through Advocate on Record Muhammad Sharif Janjua, stating that Hassan Raza Pasha, the petitioner’s counsel, was suffering from severe lower back pain. The petition was moved by Advocate Qausain Faisal through his counsel Hassan Raza Pasha, sought an order to restrain the respondents, including the PTI leadership, members and their official spokespersons, from making any public or private statement.
The application stated that since the doctors had advised complete bed rest for two weeks, Hassan Pasha was not in a position to appear before the apex court to plead the case. The application had also attached the medical prescription of the doctor concerned with a request that the proceedings be postponed in the interest of justice.
In the main petition, the petitioner sought a direction to set up a commission to assess the impact and damage of the alleged organised hate campaign and suggest further legal steps and proceedings to determine individual liability as well as a collective responsibility and to stop the negative effects of the campaign against national security, which had allegedly adversely affected Pakistan’s relations with friendly countries.
The petitioner named the federation through the interior secretary, the PTI, its chairman Imran Khan, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, and former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, among others as the respondents in the case.
The petitioner also sought a direction for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Federal Investigation Agency and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to strictly control the publication of the organised hate campaign immediately and deal with the violators and contemnors.