SARGODHA: Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Mian Muhammad Anwar Nazir adjourned the US nationals case till June 23 as Public Prosecutor Nadeem Cheema did not appear in court.
The public prosecutor was to present the arguments on Monday, but he could not appear in court as the Punjab Prosecution Department had called him to discuss the case. American Citizens Security Adviser Andre Hillary was also present in court. US citizens Rami Zamzam, Aman Hassan Yameer, Waqar Hussain, Ahmad Abdullah Mini and Umar Farooq were produced in court. The hearing was held in District Jail amid stringent security.
Sources disclosed that the Prosecution Department had summoned the public prosecutor after the acquittal of Hijratullah, an alleged terrorist involved in the Manawan attack. They said that the prosecution wanted solid arguments in the US nationals case. They said that the public prosecutor had been summoned to prepare the case properly. They added that the Prosecution Department had chalked out a strategy to pursue the terrorism cases pending in courts.
PML-N undecided about by-poll candidate in PP-34
From Our Correspondent
SARGODHA: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is yet undecided about its candidate in the by-election to PP-34 while dozens of candidates are in the run to get the PML-N ticket.
Sources said that the PPP would not field the candidate against the PML-N candidate under the Charter of Democracy, but the PPP loyalists were not willing to withdraw the candidate. “Former MPA Rizwan Gill is struggling for win the ticket for his brother Tabraiz Gill, but the PML-N is not interested in awarding the ticket to him,” they disclosed.
Rizwan Gill had held a meeting at his house and demanded the party high-ups award ticket to his brother. About 500 workers participated in the meeting and passed a resolution in the favour of Tabraiz Gill. They chanted the slogans, demanding the party high-ups recognise the services of Rizwan Gill and award the ticket to his brother.
On the other hand, former MNA Aslam Katchela is struggling for the party ticket and he has played an important role in the success of Rizwan Gill in the 2008 general elections. The Katchela Group also won both the seats of nazims in New Satellite Town, which comprises one-fourth of the population of the constituency.
The Jamaat-e-Islami also won the seats here in the first local bodies election in 2000. In the last elections, the Katchela Group and the Jamaat-e-Islami supported the PML-N candidate Rizwan Gill won with a thumping majority. Hamid Hameed, the runner-up candidate from NA-66, is the most powerful candidate for the PML-N ticket while the party high-ups have started mustering support for him. Hamid had secured 25,000 votes from this constituency. The party is also considering his father’s services for the party. Hamid is hopeful for the ticket, but the workers have expressed their reservations about his expected nomination. They do not want to see Hamid in PP-34 as he is a resident of PP-33.
Another MPA Tayyba Zameer is struggling for the party ticket for his son Zil-e-Subhan. Tayyba Zameer is a resident of PP-34. She was the first woman who protested against the Martial Law on The Mall on October 14, 1999. Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Zulfiqar Khosa will soon visit the city and conduct the interviews of the candidate vying for the party ticket.
Thief jailed
From Our Correspondent
SARGODHA: A civil judge on Monday awarded three-month imprisonment to Shahid Sikandar in a theft case registered with the Bahgtanwala police. The prosecution said the police had arrested the convict and recovered cattle from him. Meanwhile, the same judge awarded one month imprisonment to Iqbal in a narcotics case.
