PHC summons DPO over PTI leader’s arrest from court

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday summoned the District Police Officer (DPO) of Kohat in a habeas corpus petition pertaining to the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) village council chairman Nabiullah from the premises of the court.

PHC Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan remarked that nobody should be arrested from the limits of the court.

Shah Faisal Utmankhel appearing on behalf of the petitioner told the court that his client was nominated in three cases in which he had secured bail.

He said that the officials of the Cantt Police Station in Kohat had picked up his client from the court and his whereabouts had been unknown since then. The chief justice remarked how the police could arrest a person from the limits of the court.

The PHC CJ summoned the Kohat DPO and adjourned the hearing till January 31.

Meanwhile, the PHC extended the interim bail of former minister for law Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi and seven others PTI leaders till February 12.

A single bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah heard the petition.

Lawyer Syed Sikandar Shah appeared for the petitioners.

He told the court that PTI leaders, including former minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, Aftab Alam, Daud Shah, Naseem Afridi, Abdul Rahman, Shafi Jan, Khurram Zeeshan and Salman Shinwari were nominated in multiple cases.

The counsel said that his clients were contesting the upcoming general election. He requested the court to extend their interim bail so that they could participate in the polls.

The court extended their interim bail till February 12.

In another case, the PHC accepted the plea of an independent candidate from Punjab and granted him transit bail till February 10.

Chaudhry Mohammad Ali is running for the Punjab Assembly constituency PP-66 Gujranwala as an independent candidate. He is affiliated with the PTI.

A single bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah heard the petition.

The counsel for the petitioner told the court that the police in Punjab had nominated Chaudhry Mohammad Ali in three cases.

He said that the PTI-backed candidate intended to join the investigation in connection with the cases against him, but he feared he could be arrested. The counsel requested the court to grant transit bail to the petitioner so that he could cooperate with the police.

Granting transit bail to the petitioner, the court directed him to appear before the relevant courts.