Death warrants for disabled convict suspended

LAHORE
The Lahore High Court on Monday suspended death warrants for a physically disabled death row convict in murder case of five persons.
Execution of Maqbool Hussain (67), disabled with one leg, was scheduled at Multan Jail today (Tuesday).
The court sought comments from federal law secretary and jail authorities for August 11, the next date of hearing. Petitioner Maqbool Hussain through a writ petition submitted that he was awarded life imprisonment for four times, death sentence and Rs50,000 fine by Anti-Terrorism Court Multan in year 2000. He said the Lahore High Court Multan Bench confirmed his death sentence on June 13, 2006. He said the Supreme Court also dismissed his appeal against death sentence on July 30, 2015 and his execution was scheduled for August 04.
He said his trial was totally flawed as he was not given right to engage his counsel. He said although a prosecutor had been appearing on his behalf but he himself could not hire his counsel to defend his case. He said according to Article 10(1) of the Constitution, every citizens has right to engage his counsel after being arrested.
He said the police had involved him in five murder case took place in 1996 in Multan. He said Muhammad Hussain, Abdul Ghaffar, Muhammad Azhar and two others died. He said he is an elderly man with one leg as his enemies had shot him into the leg which lost his leg. He requested the court to stay his execution as legal requirements were not fulfilled during his trial. After hearing arguments, the court stayed his execution and issued notice for August 11. CTD: The Lahore High Court on Monday stopped authorities of Counter Terrorism Department from harassing JUI (F) Majlis-e-Shoora member Saqib Farooqi and asked them to produce incriminating material, if any, against him before the court on next date of hearing.
The court adjourned the hearing for August 24. Farooqi submitted before the court that CTD Jaranwala was raiding again and again to arrest him on the pretext of associating him with sectarianism.
He said already at three times the police had put him on fourth schedule which the Lahore High Court declared illegal. He said now the police again raided his house to put him on fourth schedule. He said he was a political worker and had nothing to do with sectarianism.
He requested the court to direct the CTD not to harass him and refrain from raiding his house.
Reply: The Lahore High Court Monday sought replies from federal government, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority and ministry of water and power in a petition challenging Neelum Jhelum surcharge in electricity bills.Arguing before the court, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that section 31 of Nepra Act was contrary to the Constitution and Nepra had no authority to charge extra surcharge, he said.
Despite clear orders of the LHC, the authority had been charging three different surcharges since June this year, he submitted.
He said that Nepra issued notification regarding the said surcharge on June 9, 2015 which was unlawful and beyond the powers of the authority itself.
The petitioner prayed the court to set aside the surcharges and the law under which they were being charged.