Punjab CM files reply in Shumaila Rana case
August 17, 2011
LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday, through a written reply, told the Lahore High Court that no pressure was put on former PML-N MPA Shumaila Rana from his (CM’s) office to resign from her assembly seat.
A written reply submitted before the court by the secretary to the chief minister said, “Neither any pressure was exerted on the petitioner/Shumaila for tendering resignation nor was she or her family harassed in any manner.”
The reply was filed in response to the petition of Shumaila Rana seeking restoration of her assembly membership. She alleged that the PML-N leadership had pressurised her to resign.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial ordered to place the chief minister’s reply on record and again directed PML-N leader Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, its secretary general Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Senator Pervez Rasheed, MNA Pervez Malik, and Additional Secretary Law Nasim Sadiq to file their replies by September 8. Ms Rana had resigned from her assembly membership in July, 2009 owing to the alleged party pressure after a case of credit card theft and misuse was registered against her. Later, after she was acquitted of the charges, she filed the petition for the restoration of her membership and alleged that she had resigned under coercion. Besides the PML-N leaders, she had also made Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Iqbal party in her petition.
Shumaila, through her counsel Azhar Hameed, had submitted that after the registration of the theft case, a committee was formed by the PML-N. She alleged that her party leaders had harassed her for resigning from the seat of MPA and they also sent armed persons to her house to pressurise her and subsequently, she had to resign.
A written reply submitted before the court by the secretary to the chief minister said, “Neither any pressure was exerted on the petitioner/Shumaila for tendering resignation nor was she or her family harassed in any manner.”
The reply was filed in response to the petition of Shumaila Rana seeking restoration of her assembly membership. She alleged that the PML-N leadership had pressurised her to resign.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial ordered to place the chief minister’s reply on record and again directed PML-N leader Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, its secretary general Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Senator Pervez Rasheed, MNA Pervez Malik, and Additional Secretary Law Nasim Sadiq to file their replies by September 8. Ms Rana had resigned from her assembly membership in July, 2009 owing to the alleged party pressure after a case of credit card theft and misuse was registered against her. Later, after she was acquitted of the charges, she filed the petition for the restoration of her membership and alleged that she had resigned under coercion. Besides the PML-N leaders, she had also made Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Iqbal party in her petition.
Shumaila, through her counsel Azhar Hameed, had submitted that after the registration of the theft case, a committee was formed by the PML-N. She alleged that her party leaders had harassed her for resigning from the seat of MPA and they also sent armed persons to her house to pressurise her and subsequently, she had to resign.
