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| April 4, 2003 | Friday | Safar 1, 1424 |
SC adjourns Khwajas’ case until 9th
LAHORE, April 3: A full bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing on an appeal against the decision of Lahore High Court upholding the two elder Khwajas’ detention, until April 9 due to the unavailability of petitioner’s counsel.
Pervez Inayat Malik had told the court that the counsel, Hamid Khan, was abroad.
The petitioner, Amtul Jalil, wife of detained Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and sister-in-law of the other detainee Ahmad Naveed Khwaja, has submitted that the decision made by the LHC should be set aside, as the court upheld the detention of the Khwaja brothers but released the three younger Khwajas despite the fact that all five of them had been arrested on similar charges.
Hakim Bhatti’s plea: An appellate bench of the Lahore High Court dismissed on Thursday a petition of Hakim Ali Bhatti, guarantor of former revenue officer Muhammad Fayyaz who is a co-accused in Nawaz Khokhar reference.
The bench comprised Justices Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Bashir A. Mujahid.
Petitioner Hakim Ali Bhatti submitted that he deposited Rs1 million as guarantor of Muhammad Fayyaz, a co-accused in Nawaz Khokhar reference. The accused was declared a proclaimed offender as he failed to appear before the accountability court for 18 months.
He said that his guarantee was forfeited and a Rs800,000 fine was imposed on him for non-appearance in the court.
He had requested the court to declare the forfeiture of his guarantee as illegal and set aside the decision of the trial court.
WITNESSES SUMMONED: An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of an election petition against PML-Q MNA Mehdi Hasan Bhatti from NA-102, seeking his disqualification.
Justice Syed Zahid Husain also summoned witnesses for April 18.
The election petition filed by a defeated candidate,
Brig Muhammad Usman (retired) submitted that Mehdi Bhatti had bogus educational certificates and degrees but he was allowed to contest election.
He submitted that the Punjab University authorities have also declared the graduation degree of Mr Bhatti bogus.
He prayed the court to take notice and disqualify Mr Bhatti.
The MNA’s counsel submitted that his client was graduate and the allegations levelled against him were baseless.
The tribunal, while taking up another election petition filed by Akbar Shah, directed MNA Bilal Ahmad Virk to file reply till April 21.
Petitioner Akbar Shah submitted that the MNA Bilal Virk from NA-136 was not graduate. Mr Virk had produced fake degree with his nomination papers and was allowed to contest elections.
PLEA ADJOURNED: An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a petition against MNA Riaz Fatyana for April 24 to record statements of witnesses from respondents.
Earlier, Justice Rustam Ali Malik recorded statements of petitioner’s witnesses.
Former federal minister and PPP leader Khalid Khan Kharal submitted that an accountability court had awarded five years imprisonment, Rs1 million fine and 3 years imprisonment and Rs1 million fine respectively in two references of plot allotment and illegal appointments.
Mr Fatyana was also disqualified to contest elections. Later, Mr Fatyana was allowed to contest elections while his appeals were still pending with the LHC appellate bench.
He submitted that the returning officer allowed Mr Fatyana to contest elections which was violation of the Legal Framework Order 2002, Political Parties Order and Election order of the President of Pakistan.
Mr Kharal requested the court to take notice and declare Mr Fatyana’s election as illegal.—APP
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