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LAHORE, March 26: Witnesses in an inquiry into alleged police torture on lawyers and journalists could not submit their affidavits till Monday morning before a Lahore High Court (LHC) judge. The court adjourned hearing until Tuesday (today).
Justice Syed Zahid Husain directed that the affidavits be filed the same day by all means so that further proceedings may commence.
The Supreme Court, taking suo moto on police torture on lawyers and journalists on March 17, sought a probe into the matter. Police tear-gassed and baton charged lawyers to restrain them from marching on The Mall on March 17. The lawyers were protesting against the suspension of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as chief justice. Police had also beaten up some journalists that day.
The inquiry judge said that some journalists, a man from the general public and a lawyer besides Lahore police chief Malik Muhammad Iqbal, the Lahore SSP (operations) and some police officials had submitted their affidavits.
Advocate Latif Khan Khosa, who was injured in the clashes, said that he would represent bars and asked for more time to submit affidavits on behalf of the bar’s members. The court accepted his plea and adjourned hearing until Tuesday (today). The court ordered that all those deponents who had submitted their affidavits would make themselves available on Tuesday for their statements or cross examination.
CONTEMPT: Advocate Muhammad Azhar re-filed a contempt of court petition on Monday in the LHC against the Punjab government and senior police officers, blaming them responsible for the March 17 violence.
The court had returned the petition to the lawyer with objection that the matter had already been taken up by Supreme Court. The lawyer said he had removed the objection and had filed the petition again in the office of the LHC.
DETENTION: The Lahore High Court on Monday while taking up a petition challenging the detention of Pakistan People’s Party women’s wing president Sajida Mir issued notice to the Punjab Home Department.
Snobar Ashraf, sister of Ms Mir, moved the petition. Petitioner’s counsel SM Masood said that the department had no justification to detain her for a month.
He asked the court to declare the detention orders illegal.
