How can courts reject bail in bailable offence: CJP

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, expressed his displeasure over refusal of bail to an accused in bailable offence.

While hearing a pre-arrest bail petition at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry, he observed that the court could not reject bail of an accused in a bailable case.

It was surprising that not only the trial court but the high court also did not give attention to the matter, he remarked. "How the high court or trial court could ignore it," he asked. These matters should not even come to the court but this case has reached the Supreme Court," Justice Khosa remarked.

He questioned whether it was the responsibility of the Supreme Court alone to look into the law, adding that even the Punjab Inspector General of Police had given directives to SHOs in the matter.

Under the IGP instructions, an SHO could give bail to the accused in such cases, the chief justice added.

Subsequently, the bench granted interim bail to the accused - Yassar Khan Rokhri and Umar Khan Rokhri - and directed them to submit surety bonds of Rs50,000 each for the purpose.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lahore’s Defence police had registered a brawl case against the accused.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Asif Saeed Khosa took suo moto notice of the letter written by ex-member of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Asad Munir before his alleged suicide.

It was learnt that after receiving the letter by the Supreme Court, Chief Justice while taking first suo moto notice, sought a reply from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal in the matter.

Asad Munir passed away on March 15 and as per media reports and a note circulated on social media, he had addressed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan stating that he was giving his life in the hope that the CJP would bring positive changes in the system where incompetent people are playing with the life and honour of citizen in the name of accountability.

Saeeday da Saqib ta wer ka Che Yahya Afridi ta wer ki, Munir left a handwritten note in Pashtu on top of his letter asking for giving his letter to one Saqib for forwarding to Justice Yahya Afridi.

“I am committing suicide to avoid humiliation, being handcuffed and paraded in front of media”, Munir had said in the note requesting the chief justice to take notice of NAB’s officials conduct so that other government officials are not convicted for the crimes that had not committed.