Hamza Shahbaz withdraws bail petition

LAHORE: The Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz on Tuesday withdrew his petition for post-arrest bail in a money laundering/illegal assets case on the ground of being vulnerable to coronavirus in jail.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem heard the petition and observed that the Supreme Court passed a decision on release of under-trial prisoners in the wake of the pandemic and dismissed orders issued by some high courts.

The bench advised the petitioner’s counsel to approach the apex court since bail had previously been denied to his client on merits in the same case. At this, Advocate Amjad Pervez, the counsel, sought permission to withdraw the petition which the bench allowed.

Hamza had moved his second petition for post-arrest bail in illegal assets/money laundering case on a fresh ground of being vulnerable to coronavirus pandemic in prison. Last month, the LHC had denied him bail in this case on merits; however, granted relief of bail in another case of Ramzan Sugar Mills.

The new petition referred to confirmed cases of Covid-19 in prisons of the province. It pleaded that the petitioner being in the jail is highly vulnerable to the pandemic. It said the LHC chief justice also issued an administrative order for filing of bail petitions on behalf of the prisoners and their decisions on priority in view of the growing cases of the coronavirus. It asked the court to release the petitioner on bail.