ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday expressed annoyance over Punjab Police for non-recovery of abducted girl Sobia Batool.

A two-member SC bench comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin heard the bail plea filed by Muhammad Umair held over alleged kidnapping of a girl Sobia Batool.

During the course of proceedings, the court expressed annoyance over the police and stated that police had not taken any concrete step to recover the abducted girl.

Justice Qazi Amin said that police failed to trace a single girl. He said that the Inspector General Police Punjab should appear in person before the court on next date of hearing if the abducted girl could not recovered. Additional Prosecutor Ch Jaffar said that the girl could not be recovered despite best efforts of police. He said that police failed to trace the girl through Call Data Records (CDR) of the girl and the accused. The bench directed the police to recover the abducted girl and adjourned hearing of the case for a month. The court also directed IG Punjab to appear before the court in-person on next date of hearing if police failed to trace the girl.

Also, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday accepted the Punjab government’s appeal against Ittefaq Sugar Mills for preliminary hearing. A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the case and issued notices to Ittefaq Sugar Mills, JDW Sugar Mill, Hamza Sugar Mill.

SC upholds PML-N MPA’s disqualification | Accepts Punjab govt’s appeal against Ittefaq Sugar Mills

During the course of proceedings, the Additional Advocate General Punjab said that the apex court had ordered transfer of Ittefaq Sugar Mills from Chini Goth to Pakpattan in 2018. Ittefaq Sugar Mills approached the High Court again after the apex court decision. The high court directed the Punjab government to review the application of Ittefaq Sugar Mills, he added. He said that the apex court’s decision on the application to make the sugar mill operational was misinterpreted.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday maintained the Islamabad High Court order regarding the disqualification of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Muhammad Kashif Mehmood.

A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the case and upheld the disqualification decision of Member Punjab Assembly from Bahawal Nagar, Kashif Mehmood. The high court had disqualified the PML-N MPA in a fake degree case. Kashif Mehmood had challenged the IHC decision before the apex court. Kashif Mehmood was elected as an MPA from PP 241, Chishtian District Bahawalnagar.

During the course of proceedings, Advocate Naeem Bukhari said that the IHC had disqualified Muhammad Kashif on fake degree.

Muhammad Kashif filed an intra court appeal against the decision of the high court and withdrew intra-court appeal over compromise with his opponent Abdul Ghaffar.

He said that Kashif could not approach the apex court due to compromise with his opponent.

He pleaded the court to reject the petition as it was filed against the legal process.

The counsel for Kashif said that there was no jurisdiction of IHC to hear the case as the Lahore High Court had the power to hear the case of disqualification of a member of the Punjab Assembly. Justice Mansoor said that the ECP issued victory notification. The ECP was in Islamabad and the IHC had the power to hear disqualification cases, he added.

He observed that Kashif made a serious mistake by withdrawing the intra-court appeal from the Islamabad High Court.