Release of prisoners: SC hears petition against high courts’ decision today

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will today (Wednesday) resume hearing on a petition challenging the verdict of Islamabad High Court (IHC) granting bail to 408 inmates imprisoned at the Adiala Jail under minor offences in view of coronavirus outbreak.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, on Monday suspended the IHC order granting bail to 408 Adiala Jail prisoners.

The apex court had alsorestrained the other high courts as well as the provincial governments, including the ICT and Gilgit-Baltistan, from releasing the prisoners from the jails.

The court had also appointed Sheikh Zameer Hussain, ASC, as amicus curiae to assist it and adjourned the matter for Wednesday after issuing notices to Niazullah Khan Niazi, Advocate General, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT); Tariq Mehmood Khokhar, Additional Attorney General; Amer Ali Ahmed, Chief Commissioner ICT; Hamza Shafqat, DC ICT; Waqar-ud-Din Syyid, DIGP ICT; Secretary Health, ICT, IGP (Prisons), ICT, home secretaries of all the provinces as well as the remaining advocate generals.