June 16, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1428

LAHORE, June 15: Lahore High Court Bar Association office bearers say the bar will get a murder case registered against the Punjab chief minister, IGP and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent for the death of Gujrat PPP leader Sarmad Mansoor.

LHCBA president Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon and secretary general Sarfraz Ahmed Cheema said in a statement that the Gujrat police had sent Sarmad Mansoor to jail for three months during the crackdown against political workers started on the orders of the chief minister.

They said People’s Lawyers Forum President Hanif Tahir and a delegation of LHCBA had met the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent at 1 pm on Thursday and requested him to shift Sarmad to a hospital for treatment. He turned down the request stating that Mansoor was hale and hearty.

When Mansoor died after a heart attack the same evening, he handed over his body to the bereaved family members only after they gave it in writing that they did not intend to proceed against anyone in connection with his death.

Comments Sought: A full bench of the Lahore High Court has sought comments from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority chairman on a writ petition challenging the promulgation of the Pemra (Amendment) Ordinance.

The writ petition, filed by People’s Lawyers Forum President Mian Hanif Tahir, questions the authority of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to amend the Pemra Act. The petition contends that the president has no power to amend the Pemra Act which had been enforced after the approval by parliament.

Meanwhile, Advocate Tariq Aziz has filed a writ petition challenging Pemra directions restraining Geo, ARY and Aaj television channels from live telecast of receptions of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The petitioner has contended that Pemra directions to the television channels are mala fide and in violation of the independence of judiciary and freedom of the media.