LHC rejects petition asking treason case against Nawaz Sharif

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking registration of a treason case against Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, declaring it as "non-maintainable".

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza read out the decision and asked the petitioner to approach the relevant forum with his complaint, the Dawn reports.

The petition had been filed by Pakistan Zindabad Party chief Advocate Aftab Virk, who, sought registration of the case under Article 6 of the Constitution which states, "Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason."

Former premier is facing massive backlash from the from his opponents over his remark on the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Last week, during an interview with the Dawn, Sharif had stated, "Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?"

His remarks were immediately picked up by Indian media, which termed the former prime minister's statement as a confession of Pakistan's role in the Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead.

His statement was unanimously rejected by the National Security Committee (NSC), which termed it "incorrect and misleading".

Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said that NSC's stance on his remarks related to the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai was regrettable and painful.

Clarifying his predecessor's 26/11 remarks, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday said that Nawaz did not say or imply that the Mumbai attackers were sent from Pakistan deliberately. "However, India created that impression by misreporting the interview.