LAHORE, Aug 8: A Lahore High Court division bench on Monday once again denied bail to Haris Steel Mills owner Sheikh Afzal, who is involved in the billions of rupees Bank of Punjab (BoP) loan scam.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry on May 24 dismissed bail petitions of Afzal and main accused in the loan scam Hamesh Khan, former BoP president. Later, Afzal engaged PPP senator and former federal law minister Babar Awan and filed second bail petition on new grounds.

Awan in his arguments during Monday's proceedings said his client had been in jail for the last 19 months, but his trial had not started so far. He pointed out that at least 25 hearings had been held by the trial court in the case.

He pointed out that after the amendment to section 497 of the Criminal Procedure Code through a presidential ordinance, bail could be extended to an accused if his trial does not start for a year. He asked the court to allow the bail petition, saying that his client was being punished for nothing.

Arguing on behalf the BoP, Barrister Maqsooma Zahra Bokhari opposed the bail petition and said the law for concession of bail under Section 497 of the CrPC was not applicable to NAB accused and they could not be released on bail on the pretext of this law.

Ms Bokhari pointed out that Afzal was desperate, as he had hurled threats at the Punjab advocate general and weapons were seized from his custody in jail.

The bench dismissed the bail petition after hearing both sides.

NAB arrested Afzal and his son Haris from Malaysia and Hamesh Khan from the US, as they had fled after NAB filed a reference against them.

Comments sought: Transport owner Muhammad Tariq filed the petition and contended that the shifting of the bus stand would cause a huge loss to bus operators and also a great inconvenience to passengers. He said thousands of passengers from across the country would catch buses from the Badami Bagh bus stand for different parts of the country round the clock. The government plans to establish a bus stand at Shahdara for the passengers travelling to northern cities and another at Thokar Niaz Beg for those going to southern cities.

The petitioner said the shifting of bus stands to Shahdara and Thokar Niaz Beg would cause an immense inconvenience to the passengers coming to Lahore from other cities as both proposed stands were away from the city railway station too. The government has not allocated land for the bus stands neither in Shahdara nor in Thokar Niaz Beg, he added.

He prayed that the government be restrained from shifting the Lorry Adda from Badami Bagh to the new proposed locations.

Justice Kazim Raza Shamsi issued a notice to the transport secretary and directed him to file report and comments on the matter by Aug 12.

Haj quota: The Lahore High Court chief justice on Monday issued a notice to the ministry for religious affairs for Aug 15 on a writ petition filed by a private tour operator, challenging non-allocation of Haj quota.

The chief executive of Messrs Burraq Jibrail (Private) Limited, through his counsel, submitted that he was a registered Haj organiser for the last couple of years.

The petitioner said he enjoyed vested right for allocation of quota in view of Haj Policy, 2011, but despite many representations filed before the ministry, the quota was not allocated to him.