LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday restrained the Federal Investigation Agency from arresting former principal secretary to chief minister Dr Tauqir Shah and former staff officer Talha Burki involved in a case of issuing fake intelligence report on the murder plot of former LHC chief justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif.

The accused through their counsel Khwaja Haris mainly argued that they had not been provided with copy of the FIR so far but the FIA was trying to arrest them.

The counsel also pleaded that the petitioners (accused) had no role in the case and a judicial commission appointed by the Supreme Court had already exonerated them of the charges.

He said even then the interior ministry ordered registration of case against them due to political rivalry between the federal and the Punjab governments.

Advocate Haris pointed out that the petitioners approached the FIA authorities in Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi, the interior ministry, the sessions judges in Lahore and Rawalpindi but the copy of the FIR had not been provided to them.

He said a local magistrate issued warrants for the arrest of the petitioners without having copy of the FIR or any record of the case.

He requested the court to stop the FIA from arresting the petitioners or causing any illegal harassment to them till the copy of the FIR was not given to them.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Anwarul Haq restrained the FIA from arresting the petitioners and directed a deputy attorney general to ensure provision of the copy of the FIR to them within one day. The judge adjourned hearing till Friday (today).

On Wednesday, three officials of the Special Branch were also granted protective bails from the high court in the same case.