PHC orders police not to arrest Atif, Shahram

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday directed the relevant officials to submit the details of the cases against PTI leaders and MNAs-elect Atif Khan and Shahram Khan Tarakai within three days and directed the police not to arrest them.

A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Waqar Ahmad heard the writ petitions of the two PTI leaders seeking the details of the cases registered against them.

A group of lawyers Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Mohammad Inam, Arshad Ahmad and Rabnawaz Advocate appeared on behalf of the petitioners. They told the court that the petitioners were the leaders of the PTI against whom cases were registered in connection with the May 9 violence.

The lawyers said that Atif Khan and Shahram Tarakai were elected as MNAs in the recently conducted general election and they intended to appear before the relevant courts, adding that the petitioners moved the petition in the high court to seek the details of the cases registered against them. Deputy Attorney General Hazrat Said told the court that the federal government had registered two cases against the petitioners.

Additional Prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau Mohammad Ali told the court that NAB had registered one complaint against them. The court directed the NAB, Anti-Corruption Establishment and the provincial government to provide the details of all the cases against the petitioners and directed the police not to arrest them.

The court adjourned the hearing till March 5.Meanwhile, the PHC expressed annoyance over the discussion inside the courtroom between Shahram and Atif with their lawyers. The bench said it was a courtroom and not the assembly hall, therefore, they should not disrupt the proceedings. Shahram and Atif apologised to the court.