Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) has sent a legal notice to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying her remarks describing the party as a terrorist, illegal and banned organisation were baseless and defamatory, according to 24News.
The notice was issued on the instructions of party president Khalid Masood Sindhu by lawyers Muhammad Amir Habib, Rana Muhammad Abdul Hafeez and Sheikh Muhammad Naeem Mazhar of Pak Law Firm.
It demanded an unconditional apology and the deletion of social media posts within seven days, and asked the chief minister to immediately stop making, publishing or circulating what it called false, defamatory and insulting statements about the party.
According to the notice, the chief minister called Pakistan Markazi Muslim League a terrorist, illegal and banned organisation on her personal account on X, formerly Twitter, and during public addresses carried by electronic media. It said the remarks were repeatedly broadcast on television channels and published in print media.
The notice said Pakistan Markazi Muslim League is registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan and has taken part in the democratic process under the Constitution and the law since 2022. It said the party set up welfare camps for poor people and widows during floods and other natural disasters, and runs projects in education, health and the provision of clean drinking water.
It said the party contested the 2024 general election with the chair as its electoral symbol, and recently emerged as the second-largest political party in the November 8 by-election in NA-77 Gujranwala.
The notice said every citizen has the right to freedom of expression under the Constitution, but that this right is subject to limits set by law and does not permit anyone to accuse a recognised political party of serious offences such as terrorism without legal evidence.
It said such statements were creating public misunderstanding, affecting party workers’ democratic rights and damaging the leadership’s reputation, and could amount to actionable defamation.
The party has also challenged the NA-77 result before the Election Commission. A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the party’s rigging petition and issued a notice to the returning officer, seeking a detailed report on the complaint. The party’s candidate in the constituency was Qazi Muhammad Ibrahim Gujjar, who has alleged irregularities in the polling and counting process.
