Constitutional rights can’t be ended: LHC

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Justice Sultan Tanveer on Friday adjourned proceedings for an indefinite period while calling lawyers for further arguments on the request of PTI leader Hassaan Khan Niazi's father to meet his son.

The court inquired from the public prosecutor what the conditions were for a meeting in the army custody. To which, Additional Advocate General Ghulam Sarwar Nahang said there was no scope for meeting people in the army custody in any law, adding that similar cases were pending with the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He suggested that the petitioner should go to the supreme court.

On the other end, Hassaan’s father Hafeezullah Khan Niazi's argued that the assurance given by the attorney general in the supreme court was violated. He said despite assurance, no meeting was made. To which, Nahang said the apex court could order more facilities. The court inquired whether that assurance was related only to 102 arrested persons. The court order was for all the persons in the army custody. The court said the supreme court had the authority to issue an order to meet persons in the army custody. Moreover, the apex court was told that no journalist and lawyer were in the army custody. The court observed that the Army Act could not take away the rights given in the Constitution. Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's family was given the right to meet him, why this right couldn’t be given to a journalist and a lawyer, the court remarked.