Judge who handed down ruling won reprieve from LHC

LAHORE: Sessions Judge Nasir Javed Rana, who sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on Friday, was restrained from exercising his power as a magistrate in 2004 and the case was referred to the Lahore High Court, which exonerated him.

The then Lahore High Court chief justice acquitted magistrate Nasir Javed Rana of the charges after an inquiry, and reinstated him on his post, when the SC sent the matter to him for a decision in two months.

According to details, on September 18, 2004, the police of New Town Rawalpindi police station arrested senior lawyer Wahab Al-Khairi in a fraud case. The police obtained a 10-day physical remand from the then magistrate Nasir Javed Rana. Lawyers filed a written complaint with the Chief Justice of Pakistan Nazim Hussain Siddiqui that Magistrate Nasir Rana had given physical remand of Wahab Al-Khairi without his appearance, which was a violation of the law.

The CJP took suo motu notice and issued a show-cause notice to the judge. In his written reply, the magistrate took the position that the police had personally produced the accused in court, after which physical remand was given.

The court, while withdrawing the judicial powers from the magistrate, sent the matter to the LHC and ordered a decision in two months.

Later, LHC Chief Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry, after an inquiry, acquitted Nasir Javed Rana of the charges and reinstated him as a magistrate.

The LHC ordered the district and sessions judge Rawalpindi to take action against the judicial staff, who submitted false affidavits. The Punjab Bar Council was also ordered to take action against lawyers, who submitted false affidavits.