ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Afridi’s lawyer informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that his client is being kept in a “death cell”.
A single bench of Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir on Monday heard the petition of Shehryar Afridi’s brother. His lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat requested the Court to transfer Afridi to an A-class jail.
The lawyer urged the court to grant Afridi permission to meet his children and transfer the PTI leader to an A-class jail. He added, “My client holds a Master’s degree and he should be kept in prison according to that.”
He also requested the court to order a medical check-up of his client, adding that the former minister fell at the time of his arrest due to which his “left arm is paralyzed”. He informed the court that Afridi is being interrogated in I-9 case as well.
Seeking details of the PTI leader’s medical records, the court said that it will pass an appropriate order on the plea of Afridi’s brother and deferred the hearing of the case till June 2.
Meanwhile, a division bench of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri granted protective bail to former secretary general of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Asad Umar in terrorism-related cases registered against him in Lahore.
During the hearing, Umar’s counsel argued that cases were registered in Lahore and he has to appear in the cases in Islamabad as well. Therefore, she requested the court to issue directions that no arrest can be made in this case from anywhere in the country. She also prayed to the court to grant protective bail to her client in the case registered on May 10 at Gulberg police station of Lahore.
The counsel urged the court to grant the protective bail of at least two weeks. Umar approached the IHC seeking protective bail for two weeks in connection with a terror case registered in Lahore following violent protests in the country on May 9.
Gulberg police had nominated PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Umar and other top party leaders under charges of terrorism, murder and robbery. The petition said that the PTI leader was a “respectable and law-abiding citizen” and had “nothing to do with the alleged offence”. It said the prosecution and the police had malafide intentions behind filing the case.
The PTI leader added, “The complainant has implicated/involved the petitioner in a completely false and baseless case for the purpose of harassing and humiliating the petitioner and to harm his excellent reputation.” Later, the IHC bench granted him protective bail till Thursday.
Talking to the media after hearing, Umar said that it does not matter whether someone leaves the party or stays; the vote belongs to Imran Khan. He also said that there should be rule of law in the country. He said that whoever has violated the law should not be spared.
In response to a question if he would play an active role in the party, he replied that at the moment, he is only appearing before the courts and since morning, it is the third court where he has made his appearance. When he was asked whether he is going to Lahore and will he meet Imran Khan, he answered, “I may meet Imran Khan there.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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