A petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought a ban on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s use of the term “Naya [new]” with Pakistan.
“The word ‘Pakistan’ and the flag of Pakistan are protected by the constitution and any alteration to them is a clear violation of the same”, petitioner Tariq Asad, who is a lawyer of the Supreme Court (SC), has said seeking ban on what has become a trademark of the now ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Members of the PTI, including Imran Khan, had widely used the term “Naya Pakistan” while seeking votes ahead of the 2013 and 2018 general elections, highlighting the party’s aim to revamp the system if handed reins of the country.
According to Gulf News, the petitioner has maintained that the PM has frequently been referring to “Riasate Madina [State of Madina]” while sharing his vision of a welfare state that again is without context and in contrast to the unique history of Pakistan.
Justice Amir Farooq of the IHC, in this regard, has issued notices and sought a reply from the respondents, including the Law Ministry secretary, principal secretary to the PM, information secretary and the chairperson of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
Asad has maintained that PM Imran has disgraced the national integrity giving Pakistan a nickname as “Naya Pakistan”.
“Imran Khan having altered and distorted the name of Pakistan as ‘Naya Pakistan’ is inter alia violation of Article 1 and Article 5 of the constitution and fundamental rights of the citizens of Pakistan guaranteed by Article 14 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973,” said the petitioner.
The premier, as per the petition, has also made an insignia i.e. of a flag of Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority which is different from the national flag of Pakistan.
The petitioner maintains that the new insignia of the Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority comprises green and red colours and there is no white colour that is a representation of minorities. Speaking to Gulf News, Advocate Asad said that by omitting the white colour from the housing authority’s insignia, the government authorities had implied the scheme was not meant for the non-Muslims.
In his prayer, the petitioner has requested the court to restrain the government functionaries, including the members of parliament and cabinet as well as the PTI workers and opposition parties, from patching and using the word “Naya“ with Pakistan or calling this state “Naya Pakistan”.
The court has also been requested to issue orders to PEMRA to restrain television channels from airing the said word with Pakistan.
