LAHORE: A Lahore High Court two-judge bench on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to a co-suspect in the Wazirabad attack on former prime minister Imran Khan.

Advocate Mian Dawood argued on behalf of the petitioner/suspect, Tayyab Jahangir Butt, alleging that the police arrested his client the very next day of the attack on Nov 4, 2022.

However, he said, the previous Joint Investigation Team (JIT) headed by then CCPO Ghulam Mahmood Dogar brought the arrest of the suspect on record two months after on Jan 10, 2023.

He pointed out that the suspect had been charged with an allegation of collusion in the crime under section 120-B of the PPC. He said the prosecution accused the suspect of supplying a pistol to prime suspect Muhammad Naveed.

The counsel argued that the prosecution had failed to produce any direct and independent evidence against the co-suspect during the investigation of six months.

He asked the bench to release the petitioner on bail as no one could be kept behind bars for an indefinite period for the fault of the prosecution.

A provincial law officer produced the record of the case before the court.

He stated that the petitioner had been arrested on the supplementary statement of a suspect, Waqas. He said the petitioner supplied the weapon to the prime suspect used in the attack.

The bench comprising Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry allowed the bail petition subject to furnishing surety bonds of Rs500,000.

Notices: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the police and the prosecution on a petition of former MNA Alia Hamza seeking post-arrest bail in the Jinnah House attack case.

A counsel for Ms Hamza argued before the bench that the police investigation with the petitioner had been completed and there was no need to keep her behind bars anymore.

He stated that the petitioner had been implicated in the case on political consideration. He said the petitioner was not involved in any illegal activity or violence.

The counsel asked the court to release the petitioner on bail.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry issued notices to the respondents for submission of their replies. The bench also directed the investigating officer to produce record of the case on the hearing to be held next week.

challenged: Former mayor retired Col Mubashir Javed has moved the Lahore High Court challenging the Punjab Local Government Act (PLGA) 2022 promulgated by the previous government of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and sought a direction to the Election Commission to hold the local body polls under the law of 2013.

In a petition filed through Advocate Awais Khalid, the former mayor said the PLGA 2022 is a person specific legislation that returned the “secretary raj” in the local government in violation of the letter and spirit of the parliamentary democracy and Article 140 of the Constitution, which provides for a local government system.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan failed to fulfill its constitutional duty to conduct fair and free election of the local governments in Punjab within the stipulated time.

He asked the court to set aside the impugned law and order the ECP to conduct the LG polls under the 2013 Act in Punjab without further delay.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza referred the petition of the former mayor to the chief justice for its hearing before another judge who already seized a similar matter.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023