Another FIR registered: SC summons Hamza, Ayesha Ahad today

LAHORE: While South Cantt police registered another FIR against Hamza Shahbaz, Ali Imran and others, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Sunday summoned Hamza Shahbaz and his self-proclaimed wife Ayesha Ahad Malik for Monday (today).

The case was registered against former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s son Hamza and son-in-law Ali Imran and others on a pending complaint of Ayesha Ahad. According to the complainant, accused Hamza Shahbaz called her at his residence on Feb 16, 2011, on the pretext of shifting the house and then tortured her. She alleged that Ali Imran and others connived with Hamza in the crime of torturing her. She alleged that both also kept her in illegal confinement and deprived her of her valuables.

The case has been registered under sections 354, 342, 382, 148, 149, 506 and 511 of the PPC. During the hearing of Ayesha Ahad's case at the SC Lahore Registry, her counsel stated, “Though a case has been registered, no arrests have been made so far.” The CJ remarked, “If Hamza Shahbaz is in town, he should appear before the apex court’s Lahore Registry tomorrow (Sunday).”

Earlier, on June 3, a case was registered against PML-N ex-MNA Hamza Shahbaz and five others, following orders from the Supreme Court. Justice Nisar had ordered the IG Punjab to register a case against those allegedly involved in torture and confinement of Ayesha Ahad.

Ayesha had filed a complaint against Hamza and Shahbaz Sharif's son-in-law Ali Imran. In the complaint, she accused Hamza of violence, hurling threats at her and usurpation of possessions, including jewellery, a mobile phone and her purse. Ayesha Ahad alleged that people sent by Hamza forcibly took away her laptop, Nikahnama and other documents.

Justice Nisar had taken notice of Ayesha Ahad's complaint after she approached him for justice. Besides Hamza, other accused in the case include former Inspector-General (IG) Rana Maqbool, Zulfiqar Cheema, Inspector Ateeq Dogar and Imran Yusuf, as per Captain (retd) Amin Wains, the capital city police officer (CCPO) for Lahore.

A police official said the case was filed on June 3 under Pakistan Penal Code sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 337 (hurt and injuries), and 354 (molestation with sexual motive), as well as the Code of Criminal Procedure sections 149 (rioting armed with deadly weapon) and 511 (attempt to commit punishable offences). Ahad's prior complaint, filed in 2011, was also made part of the latest FIR.

Hamza, however, had rebutted the claims saying Ayesha Ahad’s accusations were baseless and that she had made the same accusations in 2014 in the court of law but was unable to present any evidence.