LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday adjourned the hearing of an appeal filed by Barrister Hassaan Niazi, a nephew of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman, Imran Khan, against his trial in a military court.

The hearing of the appeal was fixed before a two-judge bench, comprising Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem.

However, the bench adjourned the hearing till June 17 due to the absence of a special prosecutor.

The Punjab government had appointed a senior lawyer, Munir Ahmed Bhatti, as special prosecutor to represent the prosecution department before the LHC in the appeals against sentences in cases pertaining to May 9 riots.

However, Advocate Bhatti informed the court last month that he had resigned from the position for personal reasons. The government is yet to appoint a new special prosecutor.

The appeal filed through senior lawyer Faisal Siddiqi contends that following his arrest in the May 9 case, Mr Niazi was not produced before a civilian court. Instead, Sarwar Road police gave him in military custody.

It argues that this handover was unlawful and carried out without any judicial order.

The appeal asks the court to declare null and void the commanding officer’s notification, dated Aug 17, 2023, authorising Niazi’s custody by the military.

It also urges the court to set aside his transfer to military custody and all subsequent proceedings conducted by the military court.

Niazi was sentenced to a 10-year term in December 2023 in a case of attacking Jinnah House, which also serves as Lahore corps commander’s residence.

directive to PU VC: The Lahore High Court on Monday directed the Punjab University (PU) vice chancellor to decide within a month a plea challenging the appointment of the Academic Staff Association’s secretary as a professor.

Dr Khurram Shahzad, an assistant professor at the PU, filed the petition assailing the appointment of Dr Kamran Abid, the secretary of the PUASA.

The petitioner’s counsel, Irfan Nazakat, stated that a post of professor (in electrical engineering) was advertised in 2017 and registration with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) was mandatory for the candidates.

He said the respondent, Mr Abid, was not registered with the PEC at the time of his appointment as professor in 2020. He alleged that the respondent obtained the council’s membership in 2021, clearly establishing that he was not an eligible candidate at the time of his appointment.

The counsel alleged that the respondent also faced charges of irregularities, including possessing a degree from a non-approved campus of a university.

He said a fact-finding committee formed by the university recommended an action against the illegal appointment of the respondent as an assistant professor, but the PU registrar never implemented it.

He asked the court to direct the PU VC to conclude an inquiry into a complaint filed by the petitioner against the respondent’s alleged illegal appointment.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Abid Hussain Chattha disposed of the petition and directed the PU vice chancellor to decide the complaint of the petitioner within 30 days.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2026