PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Thursday granted protective bail to chairman of Sunni Ittehad Council and MNA Sahibzada Mohammad Hamid Raza, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s adviser Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Malak Shahab till Dec 24.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad directed law enforcement agencies not to arrest the three petitioners in any of the cases registered against them till the next date.

The bench also sought details from the federal government and its law enforcement agencies about the cases registered against the three petitioners.

Advocates Alam Khan Adenzai and Mohammad Muazzam Butt appeared for the petitioners and contended that they had been charged in multiple cases on political grounds, but they had not been provided information about the same.

Seeks details of cases against them govt

They added that the petitioners wanted to approach the courts concerned, but they apprehended their arrest on way to courts.

They stated that it was the fundamental right of the petitioners under Article 19 of the Constitution to get information about the cases wherein they had been charged by the law enforcement agencies.

The bench observed that to the extent of federal government the court could seek details of cases against them, whereas about cases registered in other provinces the petitioners had to move the relevant high court.

BAIL EXTENDED: The bench extended protective bail to adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on anti-corruption retired Brigadier Mohammad Musaddiq Abbasi till Dec 17.

The bench also directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce record of a case registered against Mr Abbasi in Islamabad.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Mr Abbasi seeking directives of the court for the federal government and its law enforcing agencies to provide details of cases registered against him.

The petitioner’s counsel Alam Khan Adenzai stated that during previous hearing the court had sought details from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA about cases against the petitioner.

He stated that the high court had earlier granted protective bail to the petitioner till Dec 5. He requested for extending the bail to the petitioner.

A deputy attorney general Daulat Khan informed the bench that there was a single FIR registered against the petitioner by the FIA in Islamabad.

He contended that the petitioner should approach the courts in other provinces and Islamabad to get details of cases registered there as those areas were outside the jurisdiction of this high court.

He contended that these people (leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf) got protective bail from the high court but didn’t appear before the concerned courts.

It is pertinent to mention that the petitioner and two officials including director of KP Anti-Corruption establishment (ACE) Sadeeq Anjum and its additional director (admn) Umer Siddique, have been charged in a case registered against them under cybercrime law in Islamabad for allegedly defaming a judicial officer, Humayun Dilawar, who convicted former prime minister Imran Khan last year, and his family members.

That case was registered by the FIA on Sept 11 over a complaint filed by Ahmad Sadiq Khan, a nephew of special judge (central) Islamabad Humayun Dilawar.

The ACE had accused the judge and his family members of tampering with a court decree to ‘illegally occupy’ land and convert the same into a housing scheme.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2024