PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to respond to the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Senator Shibli Faraz for the provision of the details of criminal cases registered against him by law-enforcement agencies.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed M. Attique Shah and Justice Dr Khursheed Iqbal fixed March 13 for the next hearing into the petition of Mr Shibli, who said he should be informed about the cases registered against him so that he could approach the relevant court for relief.

Lawyers Ali Zaman, Nomanul Haq Kakakhel, and Mohammad Inam Yousafzai appeared for the petitioner and stated that different government law enforcing agencies had registered cases against leaders of the PTI during the last several months, mostly on political grounds.

They said the petitioner was a law-abiding citizen and the central leader of the party.

PTI senator demands judicial probe into May 9 violence

The counsel said the petitioner wanted to approach the relevant court, if any case was registered against him, but he feared arrest.

They added that under Article 19-A of the Constitution, it was the right of the petitioner to get details of cases against him.

An additional advocate general informed the bench that no case was registered against the petitioner by the police or anti-corruption establishment in the province.

He added that the petitioner didn’t face any inquiries at the moment.

Additional deputy prosecutor general of the NAB Arbab Kaleemullah also informed the bench that there was no inquiry initiated against the petitioner by the bureau.

However, the petitioner’ lawyers insisted that the NAB’s representative should produce that information in writing.

Justice Attique Shah observed that the “wind had begun blowing” in the favour of PTI leaders.

However, the counsel for the petitioner said the party leaders continued to face certain issues.

Last month, the high court granted protective bail to the petitioner.

PTI leader Shibli Faraz told reporters that a judicial inquiry should be conducted into the May 9 violence in the country.

About the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision against allotting reserved assembly seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council, comprising independently-elected lawmakers of the PTI, he said authorities had taken away all rights of those MNAs and MPAs and left them just to breathe.

He claimed that prices of essential goods would further hike after the formation of the new government in the centre.

PETITIONS DISPOSED OF: A bench consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Shakeel Ahmad disposed of petitions filed by MNAs and former provincial ministers Mohammad Atif Khan and Shahram Khan Tarakai, seeking details of cases registered against them by law-enforcement agencies.

An AAG informed the bench that no new cases were registered against the petitioners, who were already granted bail in the existing cases.

The petitioners’ lawyers said their clients needed information about the cases registered against them so that they could appear before the relevant courts for relief.

They said the government was earlier reluctant to provide the petitioners with those details, forcing them to go into hiding.

The lawyers said their clients made a public appearance only after the general elections were held on Feb 8.

The bench observed that as the government informed that no new cases were registered against the petitioners, their pleas had served their purpose and were thus disposed of.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2024