Federal cabinet divided over Nawaz Sharif FIR matter: sources

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet is divided over the issue of an FIR registered against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif blaming him for criminal conspiracy over his recent “provocative speeches” that were made from London.

According to sources, during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, two federal ministers and a special assistant suggested that the FIR registered against Nawaz "should reach its logical conclusion".

However, Prime Minister Imran Khan and other members of the cabinet remained adamant that the government was not in favour of exacting political revenge on the opposition.

"The government is not involved with this FIR," PM Imran Khan was quoted as saying during the meeting.

The other ministers, according to sources, were of the opinion that the FIR against Nawaz should be dismissed.

Nawaz, others booked in criminal conspiracy case

The FIR registered against Nawaz on October 1 was lodged by a citizen in the Shahdra Police Station’s jurisdiction. The case was registered under the provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code for criminal conspiracy against the PML-N chief and other leaders.

The divide comes a day after Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said that PM Imran was unaware of the case and that he had expressed "extreme displeasure" over it.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan was unaware of any such [first information report] FIR when I informed him about it, he expressed extreme displeasure,” Fawad Chaudhry said in response to journalist Hamid Mir who had shared the copy of FIR.

"Filing treason cases is not our [PTI government's] policy. These were the tactics [used during] Nawaz Sharif's tenure," he said.

Meanwhile, responding to the case, information minister Shibli Faraz distanced PM Imran and his government from it, saying that someone related to the opposition may have done it.

“This FIR can be done by anyone. You can do it against me. I will say that someone [opposition] of theirs must have done it,” Faraz told the media in a press conference after the federal cabinet's meeting.

The minister further said that PM Imran and his government should not be involved in the matter.

"Punjab government will find out who did this and investigate it. This has nothing to do with us [federal government],” said Faraz. He added that PM Imran was neither “free” neither does he go after FIRs.