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LAHORE, Jan 31: The district and sessions judge on Monday set Ravi Town Nazim Amir Munir's brother Majid Munir at liberty with the observation that he was kept under illegal confinement by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment.
The court also allowed Majid to move in instituting a case against the ACE officials responsible for taking him into custody. He remarked that Majid was a free citizen, who was picked up only to pressure the family to ask the Nazim to surrender.
Majid Munir was picked up by the ACE officials from his home on Saturday. His bother Azhar Munir moved a habeas corpus petition with the DSJ, contending that his brother's arrest and confinement were unlawful because he was neither involved in any criminal case nor was wanted by police.
His counsel Kamran Sheikh submitted that Majid and his entire family were being harassed by the ACE only because of their relationship with Amir Munir since he was declared a proclaimed offender.
The judge sent a bailiff, who recovered him from the ACE police station and produced him in court the same day. An ACE inspector, summoned under notice, also deposed before the court that Majid was not required in any case.
ADIL: Meanwhile, the bail application of Adil Munir, another brother of the absconding Nazim, is fixed before the DSJ on Tuesday (today). Adil was involved in a corruption case on Jan 26 when he was taken into custody outside a court. The ACE obtained his remand for five days, which endings on Feb 1 (today).
BADR: An accountability court on Monday deferred its decision on a reference filed against PPP secretary-general Jehangir Badr till Feb 7. The decision was put off after Mr Badr's counsel Latif Khosa moved an application contending that the prosecution had not submitted documentary evidence in support of the charges and also failed to allow additional witnesses whose cross examination was necessary.
The application was moved on Saturday but Mr Khosa was not present on Monday. The court would first take up the application and then announce the decision. According to the reference, Mr Badr ordered recruitment of more than 100 people in the petroleum and gas ministry as a minister in the first Benazir Bhutto government in 1988-90.
