IHC grants time to Qureshi, Umar for appearance

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted more time to PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar for appearance and adjourned hearing in their cases of their interim bails in a case registered by Tarnol Police Station. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case wherein petitioners’ counsel Ali Bokhari Advocate appeared before the bench. The lawyer said that both the petitioners had arrived IHC in the morning at 7:30 am but they were not allowed to enter. He prayed the court to grant time to his clients for appearance. The court accepted the request and adjourned further hearing of the case. It may be mentioned here that earlier a local court had dismissed the pre-arrest bail petitions of the two accused in the same case. Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court granted one-day transit bail to Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar in Section 144 violation and attack on Islamabad police. Concerned about the possible arrest, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar approached the PHC, seeking bail and requesting an expedited hearing for the case. During the hearing, the court taking their plea into consideration, granted them a one-day transit bail, preventing their arrest until today (Friday). Earlier this week, Qureshi and Asad Umar fled court premises in a desperate attempt to avoid being arrested after a local court denied them bail in a case connected to May 9 violence. Meanwhile, the IHC sought comments from Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a petition challenging its show-cause notice to former minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq declared the petition as maintainable while announcing the decision. The court also rejected the request of Fawad Chaudhry against the proceeding of ECP and allowed the institution to continue its working. The IHC’s bench, however, stopped the ECP from announcing its final decision in a contempt case. The written order issued by the court said that as per the lawyer of the petitioner, the Chief Election Commissioner had never granted authority to the secretary ECP for initiating contempt of court action. The petitioner had prayed the court to declare the ECP’s show-cause notice as unlawful. The further hearing of the case was then adjourned till first week of July. The IHC also instructed the police to inform the bench on the next hearing regarding the custody of missing bureaucrat Azam Khan. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case filed by the nephew of Azam Khan. During the course of the proceeding, the police adopted the stance that letters had been written to all relevant institutions to locate the missing officer and their answers were awaited. It said that the CCTV cameras at the house of Azam Khan were not functional yet. Azam Khan went out on the said day by driving the car himself and after it, he went missing. The NAB officials told the court that Azam Khan was not in its custody. However, Public Prosecutor Tahir Kazam said that the authorities had been making efforts for the recovery of the bureaucrat and they were also conducting his geofencing. The vehicle was also not seen in the footage of safe city cameras, he said. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till June 26 and adjourned the case. The IHC also sought details from the Islamabad Police of the cases registered against former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri of the IHC heard the case filed by the Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. The petitioner’s lawyer, Abdul Razzaq Advocate, argued that the police had tortured the servants of his client during raid at his house and also seized two vehicles. He prayed to the court to seek details of first information reports (FIRs) registered by the Capital Police against his client and also grant him protective bail. The court, after hearing the arguments, served notices to the Inspector General of Police Islamabad and Station House Officer of Kohsar Police Station to provide details of the cases and adjourned the case till June 27.