The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday issued a notice to PML-N leader Capt Safdar (retd), son-in-law of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on a petition of the Punjab government seeking cancellation of his bail in a hate speech case.

The Punjab government has challenged a lower court's decision of granting bail to Safdar.

Earlier a law officer contended before the court that the PML-N leader issued statements against state institutions, which were not only objectionable but fall within ambit of treason and thus, he is not entitled to bail. The sessions' court failed to take into account the prosecution's opinion and erred in granting bail to the accused, he added. He pleaded with the court to cancel the bail granted to Safdar and order his arrest.

Capt Safdar was arrested by the police on October 21 from the motorway on the charge of issuing provocative remarks inciting the public against the state.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019