LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik has constituted a three-judge full bench to hear a petition seeking proceedings against MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other leaders of the party for alleged treason.

Headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi with Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu and Justice Erum Sajjad Gull as its members, the bench would take up the petition on Tuesday.

Previously, Justice Naqvi had heard the petition as a single-judge bench and referred it to the chief justice with a request to form a larger bench citing importance of the matter.

Advocate Aftab Virk, the petitioner, said the MQM chief and eight other leaders of the party, including Babar Ghauri, Farooq Sattar and Waseem Akhtar, had been risking the integrity of Pakistan by maligning the institution of army in their speeches.

He said the federal government had failed to take action against them, adding that the act of the respondents amounted to treason and they were liable to be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2015

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