MANSEHRA: Additional sessions judge Ali Asghar Shah has granted pre-arrest bail to former Supreme Court judge Ejaz Afzal Khan’s son Saif Ali Khan and brother Sajjad Afzal Khan in a firing case and adjourned hearing until June 26.

Retired Justice Ejaz Afzal, who was named in the FIR as an abettor, didn’t apply for the bail.

The court heard the case amid tight security as a heavy contingent of police was deployed in and around the premises. Only litigants were allowed to enter the building.

The former Supreme Court judge along with his son and brother was booked by the Mansehra police for an armed attack on PML-N MNA Sajjad Awan over a land dispute with former MNA retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, the son-in-law of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Mansehra court puts off hearing until 26th

MNA Sajjad appeared before the court along with lawyer Jahangir Jadoon.

He later told reporters that he hoped that the court would dispense justice in the case.

The lawmaker said the police booked the ‘influential’ family’s members only on the orders of the National Assembly’s standing committee on law.

Bilal Khan, the president of the district bar association, said the lawyers remained peaceful during the hearing.

He said the association had already announced one-week deadline for the government to quash the FIR against the former Supreme Court judge and his family.

“If our demand is not met, the provincial bar council will announce a plan of agitation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the lawyers boycotted courts across Hazara division to protest the registration of FIR against the retired apex court judge, his son and brother.

NEW BALAKOT: Deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan has said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan wants an early resolution of the issues hampering the execution of the Rs15 billion New Balakot City housing project.

“The time is not afar when the families displaced by the 2005 earthquake and still living in makeshift houses in Balakot and Garlat will be allotted plots in the New Balakot City,” Dr Qasim told earthquake survivors during a meeting in his office here on Wednesday.

The visitors led by dispute resolution council chairman Sheeraz Mehmood Qureshi informed the deputy commissioner about their issues.

The DC said the strategy for the early completion of the housing project was finalised during a recent high-level meeting in Peshawar that was attended among others by the commissioner of Hazara division.

“I cannot disclose some key points finalised for the early issuance of allotment letters, you may rest assured that this issue isgoing to be settled once and for all,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2021