ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted protective bail to the owners of a private housing society, Blue World in a land grabbing case till May 17.

The court directed the accused persons to surrender before the trial court and made it clear that the protective bail will lapse after the said date. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case seeking protective bail for owners of the housing society Shoaibur Rehman, Naeem Ijaz and Waseem Ijaz.

Even though the court has been closed for Eid holidays, IHC devised a policy to hear cases related to imminent threat of life and liberty of a person and any other matter of urgent nature, henceforth the court was functioning with skeleton staff.

First information report (FIR) no 201, dated May 8, 2021 was registered against the accused for criminal trespassing, rioting with deadly weapons and criminal intimidation. The case was registered against them under sections 447, 506-ii, 511, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 at Police Station Chountra, Rawalpindi.

Counsel for the petitioners contended that the accused were involved in the aforementioned case with malafide intention and ulterior motives. The petitioners are residents of Islamabad Capital Territory and police officials are denying them an opportunity to surrender before the competent court, he maintained.

Justice Minallah noted that “without touching merits of the case and considering the intention to surrender before the court of competent jurisdiction, the petitioners are admitted to protective bail, subject to furnishing surety in the sum of Rs20,000”.

The petitioners will be at liberty to deposit the cash in the light of the policy of the court. They were directed to approach the court of competent jurisdiction on or before May 17, 2021 after which the court’s order will automatically lapse.

The petitioners have also been directed to surrender themselves before the investigation officer (IO) and forthwith join the investigation.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2021