12 February 2004	Thursday	20 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: The detained president of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, on Wednesday filed yet another application with the court of district and sessions judge Islamabad to omit the charge under which he was accused of conspiring to defame the army.

Moved by defence counsel Sardar Latif Khosa and Mohammad Munir Paracha on behalf of Mr Hashmi, the petitioner prayed to omit section 124-A (conspiracy to commit offences to defame the government and the army) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) because, he maintained, no complaint in this regard had been made in the case in hand by the federal, provincial governments or by any government officer.

This is the second application in a period of two days by Mr Hashmi, who is also the acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N). Earlier on Tuesday, he had filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try him on sedition charges.

District and sessions judge Chaudhry Asad Raza has already issued notices to the prosecution for Friday on the earlier application, questioning the jurisdiction of the court. The fresh application has been moved under section 196, which deals with the prosecution for offence against the state.