No quick relief for court-arrested PTI leaders
LHC defers hearing until Monday amid laughters about PTI leaders surrender and then crying for release
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There was no quick relief for nine senior PTI leaders who were court-arrested as part of party’s Jail Bharo campaign as the Lahore High Court adjourned hearing of a plea seeking their “recovery”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The petition was filed to seek release of PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Azam Swati, Waleed Iqbal, Asad Umar, Murad Ras, Umar Cheema, Muhammad Khan Madni, Azam Niazi and Ahsan Dogar.
LHC’s Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry took up the petition on Friday, directing Punjab government’s counsel to present a report in the court on February 27 after getting instructions from the government.
The judged observed that they first himself surrendered to authorities and now they were urging the court to call them. “This way they are burdening the court,” he said.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the government should present them in court.
On this point Justice Shahram remarked first present arguments about the admissibility of the petition.
Justice Sharam again said that the PTI leader had offered themselves for arrest, they themselves went inside the police trucks. “Was not this happened,” the judge inquired from the petitioner’s lawyer whose positive nod was the cause of much hilarity in the courtroom.
The judge again asked the lawyer: “Your clients are in pain because they were sent out of Lahore.” The lawyer responded that the government should submit some kind of notice in this regard in court.
The judge again addressed the lawyer asking him to request the Home Department to place the PTI leaders under detention at their homes.
The courtroom roared into laughter over judge’s suggestion to Zain Qureshi, who complained that the family was not being allowed to meet his father and senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Justice Shahram remarked that meeting Shah Mehmood Qureshi is not a hard nut to crack. “You too should surrender to police at Charing Cross and then you can meet your father in jail,” he added.
The court adjourning the hearing until Monday.
Reporter Malik Ashraf