LAHORE – Lahore High Court Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday issued notice to PML-N MNA Khawaja Saad Rafiq on an application by PML-Q’s Humayon Akhtar seeking to decide a disqualification case against Saad on merit, which the court had earlier dismissed on technical grounds. Justice Bandial on April 1 dismissed Akhtar’s petition. Now Akhtar, through his counsel Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, filed an application to restore the proceedings. The counsel pleaded that the case should be decided on merit and not only on technical grounds.
Humayun, who had lost general election to Saad in NA-125 Lahore, accused Saad of concealing his assets at the time of filing nomination papers and not disclosing his source of income. He said Saad claimed that he earned money after winning prize bonds worth Rs 40.37 million during 2003 to 2007, however, did not mention details of prizes before the election commission. In this case, Saad had submitted a copy of prize bonds worth Rs 50 million and an intimation letter from the State Bank regarding the winning of the bond draws and also submitted an income tax return of Rs 5 million, which was deducted from the prize bond.
AIDING POOR LITIGANTS: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought comments and reports from the Punjab government by May 21 on a petition seeking implementation of Punjab Public Defender Service Act 2007 meant for providing free legal aid to poor litigants. Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhruy passed this order on a petition filed by Muhammad Azhar Siddique. The court asked the additional advocate general to ensure submission of the Punjab government’s reply by the next hearing. The petitioner’s lawyer contended that with a view to providing free legal assistance to the poor in courts, Punjab Assembly promulgated the Punjab Public Defender Service Act, 2007.
He pointed out that despite a lapse of four years, the Punjab government had made no efforts to implement the law. He said the government was wasting public money on maintaining luxury lives of the politicians and the bureaucracy. He prayed the court to direct the Punjab government to implement said law in letter and spirit and make immediate appointment of defenders.
