Land dispute: Case against ex-SC judge adjourned till 26th

MANSEHRA: The court of the additional sessions judge on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the land dispute case between Justice (Retd) Ejaz Afzal Khan and former MNA Muhammad Safdar Awan till June 26.

The MNA Muhammad Sajjad Awan, the elder brother of Captain (retd) Safdar, appeared before the court along with his counsel Barrister Jahangir Jadoon amid lawyers’ boycott of the courts proceedings. The lawyers had announced to boycott the court in protest against the registration of a first information report against the retired judge of the apex court, his son and brother.

Ejaz Afzal Khan’s son Saif Ali Khan and his brother Sajjad Afzal Khan also secured the bail before arrest from the same court. A case was registered against them for allegedly grounding the boundary-wall of a 10-kanal disputed piece of land and opening fire on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Muhammad Sajjad Awan.

The first court proceeding of the case was held amid tight security as a heavy contingent of police was deployed in and around the court premises.

The MNA Muhammad Sajjad clarified his position to mediamen after appearing before the court that nothing was common in this and Panama leaks.

“I am here for justice as I would provide relief to people against land grabbers,” said Sajjad.

He added that the police didn’t lodge an FIR against the influential family and he registered that case by order of the National Assembly’s standing committee.

Bilal Khan, the president of the District Bar Association, told reporters the legal fraternity, despite courts’ boycott, remained peaceful entirely during the court proceeding.