LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MP Javed Latif on Wednesday claimed he had no plan to seek bail in a case of inciting people against the state institutions.
He was responding to the question of a reporter after appearing in court in connection with the case.
During the proceedings, when the judge asked the MP whether he wanted to say something, he declared he wanted an end to the practice of labelling opponents as “traitors”.
“Pointing out weaknesses in the state institutions is not an act of treason,” he insisted.
Latif told the court that he had taken the oath to protect institutions. “And if I have to say something to point out flaws in them, I will continue to do so,” he expressed the resolve.
He further said Pakistan was not the country of “selected few”. “I cannot chant Pakistan Khappay (Long live Pakistan) if the country belonged to a select few individuals or institutions,” he said.
Later the court extended his judicial remand till June 9.
In March, Latif, while talking to a news channel, said “if anything [bad] happens to Maryam Nawaz, the party will not chant Pakistan khappay” — a veiled reference to Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari who raised the slogan after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in 2007, a time when it was feared that separatists in Sindh could capture the anger at the incident.
Subsequently, a case was registered against Latif under sections 120, 120(B), 153, 153(A), 500, and 500(1)(B) at the Township police station on the complaint of a Lahore resident, Jameel Saleem.
