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KARACHI, Sept 24: The hearing of a petition moved for release of Asif Ali Zardari, former premier Benazir Bhutto’s spouse, on parole was on Wednesday morning deferred to Thursday for paucity of time.
Deputy Attorney-General Syed Zaki Mohammad informed the division bench seized of the petition that he received a notice on Wednesday evening and was yet to seek instructions. Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan stated that he had not been given a copy of the petition and was not aware of its contents.
The bench, which consisted of Justices Shabbir Ahmed and Gulzar Ahmed, adjourned the hearing to Thursday in view of the full court reference scheduled after the tea-break on Wednesday. Advocate Abu Bakr Zardari appeared for petitioner Faryal Talpur, sister of Mr Zardari.
Mrs Talpur seeks Mr Zardari’s release on parole for Sept 26 and 27 to enable him to attend the marriage ceremony of her daughter Tania, particularly because Munawar Ali Talpur, Tania’s father, was sick and her (maternal) grandfather Hakim Ali Zardari had proceeded abroad.
APPEAL ALLOWED: The Sindh High Court allowed on Wednesday a National Bank officer’s appeal against his conviction and punishment by a special court for offences in banks.
Mohammad Rafiq Baloch of the NBP’s Jhimpir branch was convicted of fraud and misappropriation under Sections 409, 420,468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment on April 10, 1999. The banking court refrained from imposing a fine as the embezzled amount had been deposited in the bank.
According to a complaint lodged by the branch manager in October 1992, Rafiq Baloch had, during his posting at the branch, misappropriated account-holders’ deposits by fabricating bogus record.
After hearing the counsel for the appellant and the prosecution, an SHC bench comprising Justices Wahid Bux Brohi and Rehmat Hussain Jaferi observed that the latter had failed to prove its case against him beyond a shadow of doubt. The accused was entitled to the benefit of the doubt and no conviction could be recorded against him on the basis of the material produced by the prosecution.
REFERENCE: Rich tribute was paid to 12 deceased lawyers on Wednesday at a full-court reference presided over by Sindh High Court Chief Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, adds APP.
The judges and lawyers eulogized the professionalism and dedication of former provincial minister Syed Ahad Yousuf, former Sindh Assembly speaker Abdul Raziq Khan, Yahya Bakhtiyar, Musheer Ahmed Peshimam, Saeed Ahmed Siddiqui, Mohammed Abdullah, Qamaruz Zaman, Mohammed Ahmed Hasan, Sharafat Ali Khan, Saeed A. Shaikh, Abdul Qayoom Shaikh and Mohammed Yasin Kiyani.
The chief justice, Deputy Attorney-General Syed Zaki Mohammed, Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan, Sindh High Court Bar Association President Munir A. Malik, Karachi Bar Association President Mohammed Ali Abbasi and Sindh Bar Council Vice-Chairman Yaseen Azad spoke on the occasion.
The reference was attended by all the 20 SHC judges present in the city and senior lawyers.
