LAHORE, Jan 28: The Lahore High Court on Monday disposed of a petition seeking recovery of Efroze Chemicals’ missing owner Nadir Ali Khan Efroze and directed the Islampura station house officer to decide in accordance with law an application filed in this regard.

Efroze’s brother Shahid Ali Khan filed the petition and submitted that his brother was nominated in the PIC medicine case, however, he had secured pre-arrest bail from the sessions court.

The petitioner pleaded that the police arrested Efroze despite obtaining bail, but had not produced him before any court of law so far.

He stated that two witnesses told the sessions court that police personnel in plainclothes had abducted Efroze and his son, Shakil Nadir.

The petitioner pointed out that an application had been submitted to the Islampura police for registration of a case against police officials on kidnap charges but no action had been taken so far.

Model Town Superintendent of Police Ijaz Shafi appeared before the court and denied arrest of the accused persons.

The court disposed of the petition and directed the Islampura SHO to decide the application of the petitioner in accordance with law.

Meanwhile, District and Sessions Judge Nazir Ahmad Ganjana withdrew concession of pre-arrest bail earlier awarded to Nadir Efroze and Shakil Nadir for not appearing before the court.

Damages suits

The LHC stayed proceedings of two damages suits filed by PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Husain and MPA Moonis Elahi against Zafar Qureshi, FIA’s former investigating officer of the NICL scam.

Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa issued this order on a petition filed by Mr Qureshi, former additional director general of the FIA, pleading that he had conducted an inquiry into the NICL scam on ‘merit’ following the directions of the Supreme Court.

He said Moonis, one of the prime accused in the scam, and his uncle Wajahat filed damages suits against him (petitioner). He stated such suits could not be filed against the investigating officer of a case.

Mr Qureshi said he had no personal grudge with Moonis or his other family members but he got NICL’s billions of rupees funds recovered embezzled by the accused.

He prayed to the court to set aside the proceedings on the damages suits pending before a local civil court being illegal.

The judge stayed the proceedings and sought replies from the respondents by March 12.

Sapna case

The LHC sought a reply from the DIG investigation on a petition seeking an inquiry into actress Sapna’s alleged kidnap-cum-murder case by an officer not below the rank of DIG and arrest of MPA Sardar Dost Khosa, her former husband and a nominated accused in the FIR.

Advocate Azhar Siddique filed the petition on behalf of Sapna’s family and submitted that investigating officer Civil Lines DSP Safdar Raza Kazmi was favouring the accused. He said neither prime accused Khosa secured bail nor the police took any step for his arrest.

The counsel said the DSP deliberately spoiled the evidences provided by the complainant party and bent on favouring the accused. He said the family of Sapna had no trust in the investigations being held by DSP Kazmi, therefore, an officer of DIG rank should be appointed investigating officer.

After hearing the contention, Justice Sheikh Najamul Hasan directed the DIG investigation to file parawise comments within two weeks.

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