LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s incarcerated Senator, Ejaz Chaudhry, said on Tuesday he had been deprived of his constitutional right by not letting him cast vote in the presidential election despite issuance of a production order by the Senate deputy chairman.

Talking to reporters during his appearance in an anti-terrorism court, the senator regretted that the order of the deputy chairman of the upper house had not been implemented.

He alleged that the government installed through a ‘stolen mandate’ deprived him of his constitutional rights. The senator was brought to the court from jail along with other PTI leaders for the hearing of May 9 cases against them.

The senate deputy chairman had issued a production order of Mr Chaudhry on March 8, directing the jail officials to produce him on March 9 for presidential election.

However, the jail officials did not took him to the Senate, saying an approval from the federal government was required.

YASMIN: Jailed PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Tuesday Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi has been rewarded for his services and loyalty to the powers that be.

She alleged that Mr Naqvi, being caretaker chief minister, crossed all limits to show loyalty to his “masters”.

Talking to reporters during her appearance in an anti-terrorism court, she said the PTI’s women activists were being punished for showing interest in politics.

Ms Rashid said sarcastically that only Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had the “permission to attack” the state institutions and “malign the judges” in the country.

She alleged that the narrative of May 9 attacks was built to please the PML-N leadership, but the public “rejected this narrative on Feb 8”.

Earlier, the court adjourned the hearing of three cases against the PTI leaders and workers till March 26. Former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema and former provincial minister Mian Mahmoodur Rashid were also produced before the court.

BAIL EXTENDED: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday extended the pre-arrest bail of PTI founder Imran Khan’s two sisters and 34 other women suspects in the Jinnah House attack case.

Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan — and other suspects appeared before the court on expiry of their pre-arrest bail.

Duty Judge Arshad Javed extended the bail of all suspects till April 20.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024