Contempt Charges Loom for Pakistan PM Over 'Black Sheep' Comment

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his controversial remarks labeling sitting judges as 'black sheep.' The statement, made during a PML-N meeting, is claimed to undermine the judiciary's integrity. The court seeks arguments for further proceedings within two weeks.

A petition was filed in a Pakistani court here on Friday seeking contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his contentious remarks, calling serving judges of the country's judiciary "black sheep". Addressing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) general council meeting that re-elected his elder brother Nawaz Sharif as party president earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz had said, "Some black sheep in the judiciary are bent upon giving relief to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder-leader Imran Khan." "Some black sheep in the judiciary are here to save Imran Khan from 190 billion pounds and other cases. Every day it is planned how to give Khan bail in certain cases," he added.

Petitioner Ashba Kamran filed the petition in the Lahore High Court on Friday contending that the prime minister referred to the judges as "black sheep" in his speech.

"The Prime Minister's statement undermines the integrity and independence of the judiciary. His statement amounts to attacking the institution of judiciary therefore action should be taken against him under the contempt of court law," she pleaded.

Lahore High Court Justice Waheed Khan held the hearing and sought arguments from the petitioner for the next proceeding within two weeks. There has been a tug-of-war between the powerful military establishment and the judiciary following the letter of six judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC) to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa to take up the matter of spy agencies' meddling in judicial affairs to get the desired verdicts in different cases, especially the ones related to jailed former premier Khan.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since August last year and he is facing over 200 cases.

PM Shehbaz had also lambasted Imran Khan for his tirade against the Pakistan Army. "The way you defame the Pakistani army officers and their families, the nation will not forgive you. The language Niazi used against army personnel in London, if someone else had done so, his tongue could have been cut off," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)