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LAHORE, Oct 11: A provisional civilian set-up consisting of religious scholars and strategists be installed to meet the situation created by the US invasion of Afghanistan, a petitioner before the Lahore High Court prayed on Thursday.
The same law of necessity that legalized the military regime, Advocate M.D. Tahir said in his petition, now demanded that the military and its leadership be relieved of the arduous additional task of running civilian affairs to enable them to concentrate on their constitutional duty of defending the country in an explosive situation.
ACQUITTED: Four persons sentenced to death in a gang-rape case by the anti-terrorism court of Jhang were acquitted by the Lahore High Court on Thursday.
Advocate Masood Mirza told an appellate bench comprising Justices Zafar Pasha Chaudhry and Mian Muhammad Jahangir that the case was cooked up and the evidence was concocted. The victim was not found to be a virgin as alleged by the complainant. The accused were too closely related to conspire to rape a girl or a woman together.
Acquitting four of the accused, the court only convicted Nawaz and sentenced him to 20-year rigorous imprisonment under Section 10 (3) of the Offence of Zina (enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance.
SUBHANI’s CASE: The LHC issued notices on Thursday in a bail petition moved by former provincial minister Khush Akhtar Subhani on medical grounds.
The petitioner, who is standing trial before an accountability court, says he is suffering from hepatitis and will not be able to undertake proper treatment unless released on bail.
The bench comprising Justices Khalilur Rehman Ramday and Mian Saqib Nisar also issued notices in a bail petition filed by former MNA Chaudhry Zulfiqar.
The petitioner says he is entitled to bail under the law as he has remained behind bars for two years without there being any possibility of an early conclusion of his trial.
Another division bench comprising Justices Zafar Pasha Chaudhry and Mian Muhammad Jahangir adjourned the hearing of a blasphemy case due to inability of the advocate-general to appear on Thursday.
Hafiz Saeed of Gujranwala is being tried under Section 295-C of the penal code and the trail court has rejected his bail.
LHCBA: The Lahore High Court Bar Association debates on Friday a resolution condemning the US attack on Afghanistan and the Pakistan government decision to facilitate it.
The measure has been tabled by Barrister Zafarullah Khan and 70 other lawyers. An emergency general body session has been convened to consider it on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the association has decided to hold a protest rally from the high court premises to Masjid-i-Shuhada after the meeting.
