6th-grader in Pakistan sues President House's over plagiarism

ISLAMABAD: A sixth-grader, through his father, on Friday sued in the Islamabad High Court officials of the Pakistan President's House, accusing them of plagiarising and using his speech without his consent. Eleven-year-old Mohammad Sabeel Haider, who studies in Islamabad Model College for Boys, told DawnNews that he was chosen to deliver a speech at the President House in Islamabad on December 22. The ceremony was recorded and is supposed to be aired on Pakistan Television on December 25, marking the 141st birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. However, when Sabeel arrived at the President's House, he was informed he will no longer be delivering the speech. He said in his petition that a tenth-grader named Ayesha Ishtiaq delivered the speech he had written and prepared, alleging that his intellectual property was stolen. According to Sabeel's lawyer, as per country's constitution, a literary piece that the person has produced themselves cannot be used by a third party without their consent. The court's judgement in this regard has been reserved.