LHC bench to decide jurisdiction question

By Our Correspondent 

LAHORE

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has constituted a seven-member larger bench to decide a question relating to jurisdiction of its principal seat and three regional benches at Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur.

The chief justice would head the larger bench that is going to start its hearing on July 26. Justice Shah had decided to form a larger bench on the matter during the hearing of a case transfer application filed by Bahawalpur High Court Bar Association.

The chief justice has appointed Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Syed Ali Zafar and two former presidents of the bar, Hamid Khan and Asma Jahangir, as amicus curies (friends of court) to have their expert opinion on the matter.

The presidents of High Court Bar Association Lahore (principal seat) and its benches at Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur have also been asked to assist the bench.

information centre: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Masoor Ali Shah on Saturday inaugurated Public Information Centre and Video Court on the premises of the sessions court.

The chief justice was welcomed by District and Sessions Judge Nazeer Ahmad Ganjana along with other additional and civil judges.

The chief justice also inaugurated E-Record Room and Conference Room. The LHC registrar briefed the CJ on new establishments at the sessions court. A large number of lawyers and judges attended the ceremony.

remand: An accountability court on Saturday granted physical custody of four Lesco officials, accused of misuse of authority and embezzlement, to the National Accountability Bureau by August 6.

The NAB officials produced the accused before the court and sought their physical remand to carry out investigation.

The court while accepting the NAB plea granted 14-day physical remand of the accused, directing the NAB to produce them in the court again by August 6 along with investigation report till that date.

The NAB, Lahore, had booked Lesco Xen Sheikhupura Azizur Rehman who with the connivance of Ahmed Shahzad, Muhammad Naeem and Shafqat Mahmood allegedly misused authority and sent inflated electricity bills to a paper mills.

On receiving complaint, Nepra decided the matter in favour of the complainant paper mills.

The NAB stated the accused had demanded illegal gratification for the adjustment of the bill. The NAB said, "Thus the accused committed the offence of misuse of authority and corruption.”