LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Tuesday announced its reserved verdict on the petitions moved by several convicts of accountability courts seeking benefit of the presidential remissions in their sentences.
The court said that the convicts of accountability could also avail presidential remissions and relaxation in their sentences like other prisoners. The President of the State, the order said, has powers to end the relaxations given to convicts. The order said that the prison department could not give relaxations to the prisoners on its own, as it was totally illegal.
The accountability convicts had pleaded that all other convicts were given relaxations in their sentences under the presidential or other remissions announced on multiple occasions including Eid and Independence Day. However, they said the convicts of accountability courts were not extended the benefit of such remissions. They said the government’s act in this connection was discriminatory and violation of their fundamental rights. National Accountability Bureau opposed the petitions, taking a plea that the presidential remissions are applicable on the convicts of ordinary courts of law.
PLEA AGAINST LAWYERS STRIKES
REFERRED TO LHC CJ
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday referred to Chief Justice a petition challenging frequent strikes by lawyers community, and requested him to constitute a larger bench to hear and decide the matter.
Barrister Javaid Iqbal Jafree had filed the petition and submitted that frequent strikes by legal fraternity had ruined the system of speedy justice and litigants faced huge problems.
He said that the bar associations and bar councils had already undertaken that the lawyers would not hold strikes during courts hours but despite all that the strikes were continuing.
The petitioner sought a ban on lawyers strikes citing an example of Supreme Court of India that also banned such activities in 2003.
During the course of hearing, the judge observed, since the case was of great public importance, hence, a larger bench should hear and decide it. The judge referred the petition to Chief Justice and requested him to form a larger bench to hear the petition.
LHC GRANTS BAIL TO EOBI CONSULTANT IN CORRUPTION CASE
Lahore High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Mian Wamiq Anwar, the consultant of Employees Old-Age Benefits Institute (EOBI), allegedly involved in multi-million rupees corruption.
Justice Atir Mahmood of the Lahore High Court was hearing the case.
The judge directed the accused to submit two surety bond worth Rs 10, 00,000.
Mian Wamiq Anwar had been accused of embezzlement of Rs 44 billion and had filed a post-arrest bail in the Lahore High Court.
It was one of the mega corruption scandals of the country’s history in Employees of Old Age Benefits Institute (EOBI) wherein Rs 44 billion were embezzeled.