ISLAMABAD - A local court Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants of former military dictator general (Retd) Pervez Musharraf in murder case of former prayer leader of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, and his mother Sahiba Khatoon.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Wajid Ali Khan issued Musharraf’s arrest warrants after rejecting his four various applications in this case.
In the first application, Musharraf had challenged jurisdiction of the court maintaining that additional district and sessions judge could not hear this case; therefore, the same should be sent back to magistrate.
It was adopted in the second application that a case related to Lal Masjid operation was pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan and therefore, the proceedings in this matter may be halted till the final decision of the apex court.
In the third application, Musharraf stated that in the investigation report, police had put his name in column II. As a result, the court could not summon him. The former military ruler adopted in the fourth application that he could not appear before the court due to his illness and security apprehensions.
However, the court turned down his all the four applications terming that against the law and constitution and issued his bailable arrest warrants against the surety bond worth of Rs 100,000.
After issuing the aforementioned short verdict, the court deferred the further proceedings till April 2 in this matter.
During the hearing, Tariq Asad Advocate and Malik Abdul Haq Advocate appeared before the court on the behalf of plaintiff Haroon Rashid Ghazi and Major (Retd) Akhtar Shah Advocate represented the former president in this case.
Verdict on OGRA chief plea against forced leave reserved
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday reserved its verdict on the petition of Chairman Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Saeed Ahmed Khan, who had moved the court against the federal government’s decision of sending him on forced leave for three months.
A single member bench of IHC comprising Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of both the sides in the matter of Saeed Ahmad who on February 17 had assailed before the IHC against the government’s notification.
During the hearing, Asma Jehangir Advocate, the counsel for Saeed Ahmed Khan, contended before the court that her client had no connection whatsoever with the shortage of petroleum products in the country as it was not his duty to purchase and distribute petroleum products. She maintained that the government’s decision to send her client on forced leave is not appropriate and if her client may prove guilty in the inquiry proceeding, his services may be dismissed.
Representing the federal government, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Afnan Karim Kundi told the court that Saeed Khan has not been suspended but he has only been sent on forced leave so that he could not affect the inquiry proceedings going on in this matter.
Earlier, the federal government through an inquiry report had held petroleum ministry officials, Pakistan State Oil and private oil companies responsible for the petroleum crisis in the country January this year. The inquiry report had blamed OGRA for failing to enforce 20-days stock position by oil companies even though it was responsible to develop storage capacity and stocks under license conditions for oil marketing companies. Chairman OGRA was consequently sent on forced leave. On February 11, the Cabinet Division had sent Saeed Ahmed Khan on forced leave due to his alleged role for January 2015 oil crisis.
Later, the chairman OGRA challenged the government’s order and adopted that under OGRA Ordinance the chairman had a four-year job security unless found being physically or mentally incapable or committing misconduct therefore he could not be sent on forced leave. Therefore, he prayed to the court to set aside federal government’s order for sending him on forced leave and till adjudication of this matter the forced leave orders may be suspended.