PHC seeks details of cases against PTI leaders

PESHAWAR: Two separate benches of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday directed the federal government to provide details of cases registered against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders within seven days.

The court also granted transit bail to Special Assistant Sohail Afridi, Member National Assembly Iqbal Afridi, Sajid Khan and Raja Basharat until December 23.A division bench of the PHC comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah heard the petitions filed by PTI leaders Alia Hamza, Hamida Shah, Adil Bazai and Ali Zaman advocate seeking details of the case against them.

Petitioners’ counsel Alam Khan Adinzai prayed the court that details of all registered cases against his clients should be provided by the relevant authorities.However, Deputy Attorney General Sanaullah informed the court that after obtaining transit bail, the petitioners did not appear before the respective courts.

Upon this, Justice SM Attique Shah observed that the jail was being opened at night if someone had to be arrested and detained.He directed the authorities to present a report within seven days detailing all cases against the petitioners.

Justice Sahibzada Asadullah remarked that the court would order the petitioners to appear before the relevant courts after the report is presented.The court observed that it was a fundamental right of the petitioners to be provided with details of the cases against them.

The DAG assured the court that the report would be submitted and requested the court to order the petitioners to appear before the respective courts.Similarly, a bench headed by Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard the transit bail petitions of PTI leader and Special Assistant Sohail Afridi, Member National Assembly Iqbal Afridi, Adil Bazai and Farah Agha.

The petitioners’ counsel argued that cases were registered against them in Islamabad, while Adil Bazai also faced a first information report in Quetta.He pleaded that he was an MNA but then de-seated and was now contesting by-election. However, he was not being allowed to participate in his election campaign. The petitioners, he argued, feared of being arrested before appearing in court.The court granted them transit bail until December 23 and issued orders not to arrest the petitioners in the registered cases until then.