Shehbaz Sharif faces treason charges for consulting Nawaz Sharif on Army chief

Lahore, September 20

Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly has passed a resolution with a majority vote against PM Shehbaz Sharif, seeking his trial under treason charges for consulting his ‘fugitive’ elder brother Nawaz Sharif in London on the appointment of the new Army chief.

Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Basharat Raja presented the resolution in the House seeking action against PM Shehbaz under Article 6 (treason) of the Constitution. Punjab is ruled by ousted PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its ally party PMLQ.

The resolution says the premier consulted a fugitive — Nawaz Sharif, a three-time PM of Pakistan — in London a couple of days ago on the appointment of the new Army chief, which not only amounts to the PM’s oath preventing him from sharing sensitive matters with unrelated persons, but also an insult to the institution of the Army.

PM Shehbaz was in London to attend the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who also met Nawaz Sharif during his stay in the city and discussed the appointment of the next Army chief with him.

Imran Khan, who is also the Chairman of PTI, said: “We are seeing pictures of Shehbaz Sharif consulting Nawaz Sharif to appoint the next Army chief. What can be a bigger disgrace for our country that thieves are making such decisions.” He said it was a violation of the Official Secrets Act and a breach of the PM’s oath of office.