08 October 2004	Friday	22 Shaban 1425

LAHORE, Oct 7: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Sheikhupura DPO to submit a legal opinion on the FIR which the Nankana Sahib police registered charging office-bearers of the tehsil bar with sedition.

Disposing of the writ petition filed by bar president Rana Asghar Ali, secretary Amin Bhatti and a former president Barkat Ali Ghayyoor, Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan observed it was to be seen if court proceedings in the FIR could at all be initiated. The court had reserved the judgment in the writ petition on Oct 5.

The three bar office-bearers are now in jail after having been detained by the Punjab government under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The court is also seized of the detention matter raised through a separate writ petition filed by the three lawyers.

AAG Raja Abdur Rehman opposed the contention of the quashment of the FIR pleading that the three bar office-holders committed the offence of sedition by making provocative and objectionable speeches against the state and a sensitive agency and rulers of the state.

The Lahore High Court Bar Association is defending Nankana Sahib lawyers in both the cases and its secretary Azam Nazir Tarar and a number of other representatives of the community, including Punjab Bar Council members, appeared on behalf of the petitioners.