Court restrains ACE from arresting ex-DG Health Services

PESHAWAR: Additional District and Sessions Judge Liaqat Ali on Wednesday restrained Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) from arresting former director general Health Services Shaukat Ali and sought a response from the department.

Shaukat Ali’s lawyer Babar Khan Yousafzai informed the court that his client was a former DG against whom cases and inquiries were being initiated on political grounds.

He argued that ACE personnel conducted raids at his client’s residences in Timergara and Peshawar in connection with a 13-year old case, even though Shaukat Ali had not personally gained any benefit from the case.

The case allegedly involved two former doctors accused of receiving dual salaries.The lawyer said that Dr Shaukat was being politically victimised for not supporting the drug mafia and that local lawmakers were also involved in this campaign.

He argued that in the current case, two other doctors were named, and the allegation concerns salary payments, which had nothing to do with his client.He told the court that his client was one of the finest officers in the management cadre, and the only reason he was facing these cases was due to his straightforwardness, upholding merit and refusing to bow to the drug mafia.

He said that the Peshawar High Court had already issued stay orders in two separate petitions prohibiting his arrest and harassment. These cases, he added, had been registered solely to undermine those court orders and to malign his client’s character on social media, which is unfair.

He said that since his client was willing to appear in court and face the cases, there was no justification for his arrest.After initial arguments, the court accepted the pre-arrest bail petition and sought a response from the ACE.