Notices on Bushra’s plea against her possible arrest
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the caretaker government of Punjab and other respondents on a petition of Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, challenging her possible arrest and seeking details of all cases including undisclosed ones registered against her.
Justice Alia Neelum directed a law officer to ensure submission of reports on behalf of all the respondents within a week.
The judge warned the respondents including NAB, FIA, ACE and police against lodging any new case against the petitioner once they submitted reports in the court.
The judge observed that responsible officials would be taken to task in case of the violation of the order.
The petition filed through Advocate Mushtaq Ahmad Mohal said that after the illegal removal of the petitioner’s husband from the office of the prime minister, the political victimisation of the petitioner, her husband and other family members has been started by the federal and provincial governments.
It alleged the departments and law-enforcement agencies with mala fide and ulterior motives have lodged several false and frivolous FIRs against the petitioner and her husband on the direction of the governments.
It pleaded the respondents including FIA, NAB, police and ACE have been keeping FIRs in secret so the petitioner could not approach the courts for grant of pre-arrest bail.
The petition said the respondents` act of not disclosing the cases against the petitioner to her rather concealing them is illegal, unlawful and violation of the fundamental rights.
It asked the court to declare the act of the respondents as illegal.
Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2023