PTI chairman seeks protective bail in three cases.
Two cases registered in Islamabad and one in Quetta.
Court to also hear plea filed against ban on Khan’s speeches.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) Wednesday fixes a hearing for the plea seeking protective bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan tomorrow (Thursday).
The court also fixed the same day for hearing the petition filed against the ban on the broadcast of Khan’s speeches by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
Khan, through his counsel Barrister Salman Safdar, filed the petition for protective bail in three cases filed against him including two in Islamabad’s Ramna Police Station with anti-terror clauses and one in Quetta on the basis of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and has added Inspector-General Police Punjab as a party.
The plea stated that the deposed prime minister, who was ousted from power via a no-confidence motion in April last year, wanted to approach relevant courts for bail.
The plea, in which Khan has sought protective bail for the cases registered against him under Section 506 (ii)/186/353/148/149 PPC, 1860 and 7 ATA, 1997 which has been registered against punishment for acts of terrorism, also stated that the PTI chief’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore is “surrounded by police to effect the unlawful arrest”.
It has sought relief from the court and added that the PTI chief should be allowed to approach and personally appear before the court to seek protective bail, and has also asked to issue strict directions to Punjab IG to ensure no mischief by police takes place.
Meanwhile, Khan’s other plea, which he filed in the LHC earlier this week, has sought annulment of the ban on the broadcast of his live as well as recorded speeches. However, the petition was returned by the registrar’s office with objections.
The office objected to the petition as the PTI leader had failed to attach an attested copy of the PEMRA notification with the petition documents.
The PTI then challenged the registrar’s objection and the plea was heard by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan a day earlier.
KARACHI: Students of Karachi University called off their protest after a fellow student who was allegedly “picked up” from the varsity’s premises returned.
A KU student confirmed to Geo News that Saqib, the student who was allegedly “whisked away”, has returned.
The students of the varsity had launched a protest, earlier today, after Saqib was allegedly “taken away”.
The protesters told Geo News that the student, studying at the Department of Urdu, was allegedly whisked away by some people in plain clothes. They said the men claimed they were from a law enforcement agency.
However, KU Security Adviser Dr Moiz Khan said Rangers have disassociated themselves from the incident.
The university’s administration analysed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify the students and the people who picked him up.
After the incident, the students staged a protest outside KU’s Silver Jubilee Gate and blocked the University Road.
However, upon the police’s request, they shifted their protest to the front of the varsity’s administration block.
The Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) claimed that the student was its worker.
Cases registered under sections 365 and 34 of PPC.
Nasir’s wife seeks immediate release of her husband.
Protest today at 4:00pm at KPC to demand Nasir’s release.
KARACHI: The port city’s police have registered a “kidnapping” case of prominent lawyer and human rights activist Jibran Nasir on the complaint of his wife, Mansha Pasha, hours after the advocate was “picked up” from Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area.
The case has been registered at the Clifton Police Station under two sections of the Pakistan Penal Code — 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Pasha, a renowned actress, told police in an application earlier that her husband was “picked up” by men on Thursday night.
Mansha Pasha’s application to the police. — provided by the reporter
Police were at first, according to Pasha, not registering the FIR. She said she would move the court if the law enforcers did not register the case.
She stated: “On 01.06.2023 at about 11:00 pm, I was returning from dinner with my husband in our personal car … when a white color Toyota Hilux / Vigo … intercepted and hit our car from the front-left side and forced us to stop near Ideal Bakery on 26th Street, Defence Phase 5, Karachi.”
She further added: “Another vehicle i.e. a Silver Corolla blocked our vehicle from behind and as such, we were surrounded. Some 15 people along with weapons came out from the said vehicles in civil clothes and forced my husband to get out of the car, man-handling him towards the subject vehicle. They then abducted him and took him away and his whereabouts are unknown till now.”
In her application, she also requested immediate action be taken to ensure his swift release.
“In light of the above-mentioned situation, I have no other recourse than to approach your office for registration of my complaint for my missing husband. I would be thankful if an immediate action is taken for his swift release. Furthermore, action in accordance with law must be taken against those who abducted my husband,” she wrote.
Furthermore, Pasha told Geo News that a protest was being held at 4:00pm at the Karachi Press Club to demand her husband’s release.
Condemnations
As the news of Nasir’s abduction went viral, several people and human rights organisations condemned the incident.
Concerned by the abduction, they demanded that Nasir be returned home safely and quickly.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) took to Twitter stating: “HRCP is deeply concerned by reports that lawyer and activist [Jibran Nasir] has been abducted by unknown armed persons in Karachi. We demand that he be safely recovered immediately and his abductors held accountable under the law.”
Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi also tweeted his support for the human rights activist.
“Very disturbing to hear about [Jibran Nasir] abduction. Hope Sindh police will assist his family and locate him immediately. Jibran has always spoken against violent extremism and rioting. Hoping for his safe and immediate return,” he wrote.
Moreover, Imaan Mazari, the daughter of the former human rights minister Shireen Mazari expressed his dismay at the news.
ISLAMABAD: An 8-year-old Afghan girl was raped by a man in broad daylight who managed to run away in the presence of residents of Mohallah Diptian falling in the jurisdiction of Shahzad Town Police Station, The News reported Friday.
The minor victim was shifted to a hospital where the medico-legal official confirmed the rape.
The Shahzad Town police have registered the case against the unidentified rapist under sections 376 and 377/B of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the father of the victim but couldn’t hunt down the rapist till the filing of this report.
Hazar Gul, an Afghan national, hailing from Jalalabad, lodged a complaint with the Shahzad Town, saying that he was living in Mohallah Diptian, located near Mariam Masjid with his family for a couple of months.
“I was present at my house along with my elder brother when we heard some noises from the street, we rushed out of the house and witnessed a young man running towards us, consequently, without knowing the reason for his escape, we both tried to intercept him but he succeeded to let loose from our clutches and ran off from our custody,” the complainant narrating his story, said.
However, he said, “We moved towards the place where people of the street were gathered and saw my minor daughter crying.”
Upon query, the minor victim told him the tale of the brutal attack on her, saying she was playing near her house when she was dragged by the rapist into an under-construction house and raped forcibly.
The DPO (Rural) has taken up the case and asked the Shahzad Town police to take the case as a challenge and use all their efforts to make headway to arrest the rapist, the police sources said.
The SP has constituted teams and sent them to different locations to get a clue about the rapist.
The sources added that the police have rounded up a few suspects for investigation, claiming that the police teams would make headway to the criminal and hunt him down within the next 24 hours.