Pakistan
Sedition Case: BHC quashes FIRs against PTI’s Shahbaz Gill
Justice Abdul Hameed, then remarked that registering multiple cases in one incident is against the law.
Quetta: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) Wednesday quashed all First Information Reports (FIRs) against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill in sedition case.
A single bench comprising Justice Abdul Hameed Baloch announced the verdict on a plea registered by Gill’s lawyer Iqbal Shah seeking to quash multiple cases filed against his client in Qilla Abdullah, Balochistan.
During the proceedings, Justice Abdul Hameed asked how many cases have been registered against Gill on one incident.
Justice Abdul Hameed, then remarked that registering multiple cases in one incident is against the law.
After hearing the petition, the court directed the authorities to nullify the cases registered against PTI leader.
Notably, Balochistan police had registered the case against Shahbaz Gill for using ‘foul language’ and ‘inciting violence’ against state institutions on the complaint of Aziz Ullah.
The FIR was registered under sections 34 (common intention), 109 (abetment), 120 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 121 (waging war against state), 124-A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempt to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153 (provoking to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Besides other charges, clauses related to spreading anarchy and hatred were added to the FIR.