LAHORE: Police on Saturday arrested a young lawyer affiliated to the PTI for chanting slogans against PML-N leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb and Javed Latif on the premises of the anti-terrorism court.

Both leaders came to the court to attend the hearing of a case registered during the PTI government in Punjab.

The lawyer, on seeing the PML-N leaders, started chanting slogans against them and in favour of PTI former chairman Imran Khan.

The lawyer ignored repeated warnings by the police personnel against political sloganeering on the court premises. Consequently, the police arrested the lawyer and shifted him to the Racecourse police station.

Earlier, the court heard final arguments of the defence counsel on the acquittal applications of the suspects. The court directed the prosecution to present its arguments on Jan 22.

The case was registered against senior PML-N leaders Ms Aurangzeb and Mr Latif in Lahore on Sept 19, 2022, for allegedly ‘using religion to instill and spread hatred’ against PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan.

The FIR was filed by a prayer leader at a local mosque situated within the jurisdiction of Lahore’s Green Town police station.

The complainant alleged that he came across a press conference of PML-N’s Mr Latif on Sept 14, 2022, in which he hurled disturbing accusations at Mr Khan in the name of religion.

The PTV managing director and controller programme had also been nominated in the case, as the complaint said the presser was shown on PTV.

The complainant said Mr Latif accused the PTI chief of ‘attacking the basic principles of Islam’ by ‘supporting’ the Ahmediyya community during his tenure.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2024