ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Shandana Gulzar to join the investigation in a sedition case registered against her by the capital police.
Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani heard the petition filed by Shandana Gulzar, seeking to quash the first information report (FIR). The petitioner appeared before the court along with her counsel.
During the course of the hearing, Justice Kayani asked the petitioner to first join the investigation process and then the court would view her case.
The case was then adjourned till March 8.
‘Sedition Case’
On Feb 2, the Islamabad Women’s Police Station registered the case against the former National Assembly member for inciting hatred against institutions during her appearance on a private TV channel programme.
Sections 153A, 124A and 505, which deal with sedition, incitement and spreading hatred, have been included in the case.
Shandana Gulzar was elected to the National Assembly on a reserved seat for women from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the 2018 general elections. She has served as a deputy minister and parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Commerce.
The former lawmaker is the latest in a list of PTI leaders who have been booked on sedition charges in the recent past.
On January 25, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry was arrested from Lahore on sedition charges for allegedly “inciting violence” against the Election Commission of Pakistan members and the chief election commissioner. He was released on bail earlier today.
On January 29, a Dera Ismail Khan citizen filed a complaint against former federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur for allegedly spreading hatred against the state through “provocative” statements on social media.
In August, another PTI leader, Shahbaz Gill, was arrested by the Islamabad Police for “sedition and inciting the public against state institutions”.
