LAHORE: Former governor Mian Muhammad Azhar on Monday filed a writ petition before the Lahore High Court seeking details of cases, if any, registered against his son Hammad Azhar, a former federal minister, and alleged harassment by the caretaker government and its different agencies.

Filed through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, the petition by the senior politician said the caretaker government, instead of running the routine functions of the province, started oppressing the PTI leadership and workers “just to give an undue benefit to their rival parties”.

He claimed to have been informed by some “sources” that due the political rivalry, the government, with collusion of police, implicated his son Hammad in some undisclosed cases.

Mian Azhar alleged that he and his family were being harassed and humiliated by the authorities in order to restrain them from running the election campaign despite the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Khadija challenges FIA’s money laundering inquiry

He said his son had to file nomination papers before the ECP, but he had no knowledge of the “hidden” cases against him.

He alleged that police and other agencies had been conducting raids and causing harassment to his family members.

The petitioner asked the court to restrain the government and other respondents from causing harassment to the petitioner and his family members in any manner and provide the details of FIRs,if any, lodged against his son.

Besides Punjab police, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) have been made respondents in the petition.

Hammad Azhar has been declared a proclaimed offender in several cases related to May 9 riots.

KHADIJA SHAH: PTI activist and fashion designer Khadija Shah on Monday filed a petition before the Lahore High Court, challenging an inquiry into money laundering case registered by the FIA.

Ms Shah, in custody of Quetta police, filed the petition through her counsel Sameer Khosa.

The petition stated that the FIA initiated the inquiry into the money laundering case against the petitioner without any legal justification.

It argued that the FIA’s inquiry into money laundering was based on malice.

It asked the court to issue an order and set aside the inquiry.

Ms Shah has been granted bail in all May 9 riots cases registered against her in Lahore.

However, Quetta police obtained her custody from a court in Lahore for investigation into a case relating to the May 9 riots.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2023