PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home department to produce details of the cases registered against three Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders, including former federal ministers Azam Khan Swati and Murad Saeed and former provincial minister Mohammad Atif.

A bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Syed Arshad Ali issued notices to the home secretary, KP inspector general of police and other respondents for their formal response by July 5 to the two petitions, which sought details of the cases registered against Mr Swati, Mr Saeed and Mr Atif.

Provincial organiser of the Insaf Lawyers Forum Qazi Mohammad Anwar moved the court about the cases against Mr Swati and Mr Saeed, whereas lawyer Nadeem Shah filed the petition to know about the cases against Mr Atif.

Asks govt, police to file response to petitions

Advocate Shah Faisal Uthmankhel appeared for the petitioners.

Additional advocate general Danyal Asad Chamkani opposed the petitions saying neither the PTI leaders nor their relatives approached the court for relief.

He said the two petitions were not maintainable, so they should be rejected.

Mr Anwar contended that he, as the provincial organiser of ILF, had approached the court on behalf of Mr Swati and Mr Saeed.

He said that the two leaders had tried their level best to get information regarding any FIR or any order under the preventive detention laws related to them but the respondents, including the provincial government and police department refused to provide any information.

The ILF organiser contended that the respondents had committed an illegal act by not sharing with him the reason for raids on the houses and offices of the two PTI leaders.

He said that both former ministers were respectable and law-abiding citizens and were ready to surrender before the high court but the respondents were not providing any requisite information of any case or any preventive detention order to them.

Mr Uthmankhel said that the police had been conducting illegal raids and had been harassing the three PTI leaders and their family members.

He said that the former ministers were willing to surrender before the high court if they’re told about the cases pending against them.

The lawyer also requested the court to restrain the law-enforcement agencies from conducting raids on the residences of the three PTI leaders and their family members until the disposal of the petitions.

CONTEMPT PLEA: Former PTI MNA Anwar Taj has filed a contempt petition against the provincial IGP, Mardan regional police officer and Charsadda district police officer over a raid on his house despite the issuance of a protective bail to him by the high court.

The petitioner said that the high court had granted protective bail to him on June 21 until July 3 with that order being formally conveyed to the officials of the Charsadda police.

The petition is filed through lawyer Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, who said that despite that court order, the police had raided his client’s residence on June 26 without a policewoman and harassed his family members.

He added that as his client was away, he couldn’t be arrested.

The lawyer requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents and punish them under the relevant law.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2023