LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Wednesday put on the Exit Control List the names of the owners of the doomed drugs factory, and also extended their interim bail till March 08. Twenty-four employees lost their lives when the factory collapsed with a bang on February 06.
Earlier during the case hearing, Zubair, Zafar and Iqbal informed the judge that their counsel, Khurram Khosa, could not appear in the court due to some personal engagements. However, the counsel for the heirs of the dead factory workers took the plea that the accused were using dilatory tactics, pleading that the accused persons’ bails should be cancelled.
The accused also filed another application in the LHC seeking protective bail in a case registered by the Anti-Corruption Establishment. They stated that ACE officials were harassing them on the name of investigation.
However, ACE officials sought permission from court for the arrest of accused and six officials of the Lahore Development Authority. They informed the court that they had registered an FIR against them and they required their arrest. The accused had submitted before the court that Sabzazar Police Station registered FIR against them under section 302/149, 324/ 427, 290/ 291 of PPC.
The LHC granted them bails against surety bonds of Rs100,000 each after the dismissal of their bail applications by AD&SJ Chaudhry Nazeer Ahmad.
The petitioners submitted the FIR against them had been registered unlawfully. After recording arguments, Justice Kazim Raza Shamsi extended their interim bails for one day in a case registered against them under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The court also granted them protective bail for one day by ordered to put their names on the ECL.