LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday sought arguments from the complainant’s lawyer on a bail petition of an underage driver involved in a car accident in Defense Housing Authority (DHA) that resulted in the death of six members of a family.

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the bail petition of the suspect, Afnan Shafqat, and directed the complainant’s lawyer to present his arguments at the next hearing.

The petitioner’s counsel contended that an anti-terrorism court rejected the bail plea without properly reviewing the case’s facts. He argued that the dismissal of bail by the trial court was contrary to the facts and against legal principles.

He asked the court to set aside the impugned decision and release that petitioner on bail.

The Defence police had registered an FIR on a complaint of Rafaqat Ali, who lost his wife Rukhsana Bibi (45), son Husnain (25), daughter-in-law Ayesha (23), son-in-law Sajjad (30), four-month-old grandson Huzaifa, and granddaughter Anaya (4) in the deadly road accident.

Besides Afnan, who was driving the car, his father Shafqat Ali, and friends Ali Abdullah, Muhammad Saad and Muhammad Ibrahim, have also been declared guilty of multiple offences in the police challan submitted in the trial court.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2024