LAHORE: The counsel for a widow of former governor of Balochistan Nawab Akbar Bugti on Friday locked the courtroom of an additional district and sessions judge for confirming interim pre-arrest bail of Advocate Hassaan Khan Niazi, the nephew of Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a criminal case registered against him by his client.

Niazi appeared before the court for the hearing of his petition while counsel for the complainant woman, Shahzadi Nargis, opposed the confirmation of the bail.

However, Additional District and Sessions Judge Malik Mushtaq confirmed Niazi’s bail.

The counsel for Nargis and his associates lodged a protest against the decision and created a scene in the courtroom. He allegedly also took away the case file before locking the courtroom from outside.

Lahore Bar Association President Malik Sarood condemned the incident and also reached the spot.

Police personnel broke the padlock the angry lawyers had used to lock the courtroom.

Shahzadi Nargis, the widow of Bugti, had accused Niazi and four others of attacking her in the court when she appeared to seek bail in a case lodged against her with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

On the other hand, Advocate Niazi said police had lodged a fabricated case against him without seeking evidence of the allegations from the complainant.

The FIA had registered the case against Nargis on a complaint of her former daughter in-law, Wishah Abubakar, for sharing her objectionable pictures and videos on social media. She also accused her former husband Shahzawar Bugti of subjecting her to physical torture and extending life threats to her. Advocate Niazi is a counsel for Ms Wishah.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2021