The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought a reply from the Punjab Police inspector general (IG) on a petition seeking directives for the police to provide the record of cases registered against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.
Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem took up the petition moved by PML-N leader Awais Laghari. He made the IG and others as respondents in his petition.
Justice Nadeem directed the IG to submit a reply today (Wednesday).
Laghari, through his counsel Advocate Asadullah Khan, contended that the police fabricated cases against him and other PML-N leaders. He said that he was not involved in illegal activities.
“I was booked in several cases and the police were not providing the record,” read the petition, pointing out that they did not know about the details of the cases. He asked the court to direct the IG to provide the record of the cases registered against them.
After hearing initial arguments, Justice Nadeem sought a reply from the inspector general by today.
Meanwhile, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan also approached the LHC seeking protective bail against a case registered against him with Qila Gujjar Singh Police Station.
Rana Mashhood filed the bail petition through Advocate Asadullah Khan and submitted that the police conducted raids at his home in two cases.
The police, he said, wanted to arrest him in politically motivated cases. He asked the court to direct the police to provide the record of the cases against him and bar them from arresting him.
The development took place a day after Qila Gujjar Singh police booked five PML-N MPAs – Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Mian Javed, Mian Muhammad Rauf, Malik Saiful Malook Khokhar and Rukhsana Kausar in a fresh criminal case.
PTI MPA Nawabzada Waseem Khan Badozai, the adviser to Punjab chief minister, got the case lodged against the PML-N leaders over charges of creating ruckus on the floor during the Punjab Assembly session for election of the speaker held on July 29.
The assembly administration had also barred the five PML-N MPAs from entering the premises of the Punjab Assembly over charges of causing damage to the dignity of the Punjab Assembly and disturbing its environment.
Last week, a local court in Lahore had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 12 PML-N lawmakers in the same case on the letter of Qilla Gujjar Singh police.
After getting the court permission, the police conducted raids at the residences of PML-N leaders but they were not present there as either they hid somewhere or went to Islamabad where their party along with the coalition partners is in power. Later, the PML-N MPAs challenged the order of the Lahore court before the Islamabad High Court.
The police registered the FIR against the PML-N lawmakers under Section 382 [Theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft], Section 353 [Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty], Section 186 [Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions], Section 427 [Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees] and Section 201 [Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender] of Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (PPC).
According to the FIR, MPA Rukhsana Kausar was found guilty of having a ballot book which the security assembly recovered from her custody.
It said, “After the recovery, the book was examined and it transpired that four ballot papers were torn from the book, and were cancelled accordingly”.
The FIR said that during the proceedings of the house the business of the assembly was severely hampered by the unruly and disorderly conduct of the opposition MPAs. Despite repeated advice by the Presiding Officer, it said, the opposition members declined to act in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly and continuously committed misconduct and created disorder in the house.
The members of the assembly present there demanded the presiding officer to take immediate action against the untoward incident that took place.
