Judicial remand of Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman extended till June 1

LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday extended the judicial remand of Jang/Geo Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman till June 1 in a case pertaining to the purchase of a private piece of land more than thirty years ago.

Jail authorities didn’t produce Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman before the court due to coronavirus situation. However, District Jail Assistant Superintendent Ashiq Hussain appeared before the court with a jail report.

Accountability Court Judge Jawadul Hassan inquired where Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman is. To which the jail official replied that the accused is in jail and could not be produced before the court due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation.

The judge, while addressing the jail official, said don’t mislead the courts. The judge said the government has no authority to issue orders to suspend court proceedings. There is no provision in the law, which allows governments to lead the courts, the judge said and added he has no objections to SOPs made for court proceedings but the wording of SOPs is like dictation to the courts.

It is pertinent to mention here that the editor-in-chief of the Jang/Geo Group is in custody for 61 days in a case which is of documentary nature.