Three testify in Kasur contempt case

LAHORE :The Lahore High Court Tuesday recorded statements of three witnesses against six accused of the PML-N, including MNA Waseem Sajjad and MPA Naeem Safdar in a contempt petition against them for taking out a rally against the judiciary and abusing the judges of the superior courts.

A full bench led by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing the petition moved by Kasur District Bar Association President Mirza Naseem against the parliamentarians of ruling PML-N and others for taking out a rally in Kasur.

Kasur DPO Zahid Marwat and two other witnesses recorded their statements before the bench. Additional Advocate General Shan Gull, the prosecutor appointed by the court, also got the statements of the witnesses recorded. After recording the statements of the witnesses, the court directed the accused persons to record their statements on the hearing. Two accused Nasir Khan and Jameel Khan had already tendered unconditional apology before the court. The court adjourned the proceedings until June 01.

Kasur police registered a case against over 80 persons out of which six were identified as members of the ruling party PML-N. The police booked them under Sections 166, 506, 341, 228, 109, 147 and 149 of the PPC.

Kasur District Bar Association President Mirza Naseem had moved the petition submitting that the protest in Kasur was a planned conspiracy against the institution of judiciary. He alleged that the rally was led by PML-N’s MNA Waseem Sajjad and MPA Naeem Safdar Ansari while some local leaders of the unions also accompanied them.

The bar leader said that by doing so, the protesters committed contempt of court and therefore they must be punished. He prayed to the court to declare the parliamentarian disqualified and proceed against them in accordance with the law.

The same bench had been hearing the petitions against alleged anti-judiciary speeches of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N leaders. The bench was also seized with the hearing of petitions against MQM London chief for his anti-state speeches.

In a separate case about Model Town killings, the LHC put off further proceedings until the third week of June. A full bench headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan adjourned the hearing because he had to go to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

Taking up the matter of Paragon City Executive Director Ali Sajjad Bhutta, the LHC extended until June 11 his interim bail in the case.

The petitioner said that he served as GM finance with Paragon City in 2006 and also worked with Casa developers for six months but now the NAB had started inquiry against him without any reason. He asked the court that the NAB authorities be directed not to arrest him.