ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: The decision on the petitions of Maimoona Hashmi seeking release of ARD President Javed Hashmi on bail will be announced on Monday, Justice Mansoor Ahmad of the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, said on Friday.
Munir Ahmad Bhatti, counsel for the Islamabad police, said the letter distributed by Mr Hashmi at a press conference on Oct 20 was a “state secret” and could not be handed over to the petitioner’s lawyers.
Barrister Aitzaz Ahsen, counsel for the petitioner, said he possessed a copy of the letter which he had purchased for two rupees from a newspaper hawker. But, he said he wanted an official copy to ensure that the government would not be able to change its contents.
The counsel said he would be satisfied even if the government lawyer certified his copy as true copy of the letter. By declaring the letter as secret, he said, the government was creating suspicion in the minds as if the letter was genuine.
Mr Bhatti stated that the petitioner was trying to get maximum political mileage out of the case, and was making a deliberate effort to make it a “press trial”.
He argued that the petitioner, being fully aware of the fact why her father was arrested, had filed the habeas corpus petition, and was, therefore, liable to be tried for approaching the court with “uncleaned hands.”
He said the National Assembly speaker was informed of Mr Hashmi’s arrest 10 minutes after the police took him into custody. The detenu, he added, was produced before the magistrate within 24 hours as required under the law and there was no irregularity in the grant of remand.
Responding to the request for providing a copy of the FIR to the petitioner, he stated that police were not bound to supply the copy and if they wanted a copy, they should move an application to the area concerned.
The counsel stated that the then PML-N government, of which Mr Hashmi was part, had meted out the same treatment to Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, whose lawyer was not supplied the copies of the FIR and the remand order for months after his arrest.
He said the letter, being a “state secret”, would not be read out in the court, and added that it was against the integrity of Pakistan.
