LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday disposed of a petition of former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri seeking details of cases against him and protective bail.

Earlier, a law officer filed a report, saying there were two inquiries on corruption charges pending against the petitioner and an FIR had been registered.

A counsel for the petitioner argued that his client was President of PTI Balochistan and a former deputy speaker of the National Assembly. He said the cases had been filed against the petitioner violating his fundamental rights and that there was an apprehension of the petitioner’s arrest during the campaign for the upcoming general election. He asked the court to restrain the police and other agencies from arresting the petitioner in any undisclosed cases and provide details of all the inquiries and FIRs against him.

The counsel also urged the court to grant protective bail to the petitioner in all cases registered against him.

The court, however, turned down the request as the petitioner did not appear in person to seek the bail. The court disposed of the petition in light of a report filed by the government.

NOTICES: The LHC sought replies from the Punjab caretaker government and police on a petition by mother of Barrister Hassaan Niazi, a nephew of former prime minister Imran Khan, seeking permission for her son to file his nomination papers for the upcoming general election.

Justice Ali Baqar Najafi heard the petition and directed a law officer to submit replies on behalf of the respondents by Friday (today).

Petitioner Noreen Niazi contended, through a lawyer, that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced the election schedule and her son wanted to contest the polls as he was neither disqualified nor convicted. She said her son was currently in the custody of military authorities, alleging he had been denied permission to sign his nomination papers.

The petitioner asked the court to grant permission to Hassan Niazi to complete the process of filing nomination papers.

In August, the government had told the LHC that Barrister Niazi had been handed over to the military authorities for his trial in a case of attack on the Jinnah House, which also serves as Corps Commander House, during the May 9 riots.

Barrister Niazi was arrested from Abbottabad almost four months after he went into hiding to avoid arrest in cases of May 9 riots.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2023