LAHORE: The Lahore High Court adjourned hearing of a petition for “recovery” of senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf who were court-arrested as part of party’s Jail Bharo campaign and asked the law officer to appear before the court after seeking instruction from the government. The court also asked the law officer to produce their arrest orders.
The petition was filed for release of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Azam Swati, Waleed Iqbal, Asad Umar, Murad Ras, Umar Cheema, Muhammad Khan Madni, Azam Niazi and Ahsan Dogar.
The court observed that they had surrendered themselves and now were asking the court to call them.
The petitioners’ lawyer urged that the government should present them in court.
The court at this asked the petitioners’ counsel first present arguments about the admissibility of the petition.
The court asked the lawyer, “Your clients are in pain because they were sent out of Lahore.” He replied that the government should submit some kind of notice in this regard in court.
The court also suggested to Zain Qureshi, who complained that the family was not being allowed to meet his father and senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The court said it was not difficult to meet Shah Mehmood Qureshi. “You too should surrender to police at Charing Cross and then you can meet your father in jail,” the court added and rose till Monday.
The petition was filed by Senator Ejaz Chaudhry of PTI and family members of some of the arrested PTI leaders.
Senator Chaudhry alleged that the police in connivance and under instructions from the Punjab home department arrested the leaders and members of parliaments of the PTI and were taken to the camp jail first and then to the Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. He said the alleged detainees were not allowed to be provided with food and necessary medicine.
The petitioner asked the court to get the PTI leaders recovered from the police custody and set them at liberty.
Wife of PTI secretary general Asad Umar also filed a separate habeas corpus petition for the recovery of her husband.
Petitioner Sufia Fatima asked the court to set aside the detention order issued by the district government against her husband.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023