LAHORE: A Lahore High Court judge has observed that sexual assault on women is a very regrettable aspect of society and withdrawing the charges by the victims is most unfortunate.

Justice Shahid Hameed Dar was holding first hearing on a prosecution department appeal against bail granted to gang-rape suspect Adnan Sanaullah, a former office-bearer of PML-N Youth Wing.

As the judge resumed hearing, Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad Khan said a sessions court granted bail to Sanaullah after the victim girl submitted an affidavit in favour of the suspect.

The judge regretted the fact and issued a notice to the suspect for next week.

Racecourse police had arrested prime suspect Adnan Sanaullah and his accomplices Abdul Majid, Muhammad Umar, Ameer Ahmad, Haris, Bilawal, Imran Shahid and Qamar Zaman on charges of abducting a teenage girl and subjecting her to gang rape.

The prosecution stated in its appeal that the affidavit filed by the girl was a result of pressure exerted on her family by the suspects. Whereas, it said, the girl in her first statement before a judicial magistrate had maintained that Adnan Sanaullah was the prime suspect of the gang rape.

The prosecution asked the court to declare the affidavit submitted by the victim as null and void and cancel the bail granted to the suspect by the sessions court.

The suspects allegedly abducted the 15-year-old girl from Multan Road and took her to a guest house on The Mall where they subjected her to gang rape. They left the girl unconscious in a room of the hotel before informing her family through a text message on cell phone.

Objection OVERRULED: The Lahore High Court on Monday overruled Registrar’s Office objection to Pakistan Sunni Tehreek leader Sarwat Ejaz Qadri’s plea against ban on his entry to Punjab and directed it to fix it for hearing.

Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa heard the petition as “objection case” as the office objected to authenticity of one of the documents attached with the plea.

However, the judge overruled the objection and directed the office to fix the petition on June 22 before an appropriate bench.

The provincial interior ministry had in February 2016 put a ban on the entry of Mr Qadri to the province saying his presence could deteriorate peace and tranquility in the province.

In a writ petition filed through Advocate Usman Naseem, Mr Qadri challenged the ban saying the government’s act was in violation of his fundamental rights. He said a representation filed against the ban had been pending before the interior secretary for weeks.

Mr Qadri asked the court to set aside the notification issued by the interior ministry and lift the ban on his entry to Punjab.

ADJOURNED: The Lahore High Court on Monday adjourned for final arguments a petition challenging authority of Punjab University to recognise degrees of law graduation.

A young lawyer filed the petition through Advocate Sheraz Zaka contending that after the formation of Legal Education Rules 2015, the sole authority to recognise degrees vested in HEC and Pakistan Bar Council regarding recognition of LLB degrees. And other than LLB degrees the sole authority to issue equivalence was vested in HEC under section 10 of Higher Education Commission Ordinance, the counsel said.

The counsel argued that the PU had been acting beyond its powers and extorting money from students in the name of issuance of equivalence certificates for admission to masters programmes, as the sole authority was vested in HEC and in case of law degrees Pakistan Bar Council had the authority.

He asked the court to declare the act of the PU illegal and restrain it from further extorting students in the name of degrees’ recognition.

HEC’s legal adviser Sajid Hotiana also supported the petition and admitted that the power to recognise degrees with respect to any subject solely vested in the commission and not in the university. However, university’s counsel Amir Mahmood defended the powers of the varsity and said the PU had its own domain and admission policy. He said the university did fall under the domain of the HEC but the former had its own regulations.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh adjourned hearing till Oct 25 and directed all the parties to come up with final arguments.

Published in Dawn, June 21th, 2016