Lahore High Court Chief Justice (CJ) Azmat Saeed on Thursday issued notice to provincial and federal government law officials for legal assistance in a petition urging the court to summon former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi over issue of immunity for CIA contractor Raymond Davis, who had gunned down two Pakistanis and was released after payment of blood money. The CJ ordered an assistance attorney general and additional advocate general to help the court ascertain the law that could summon a private person. The judge adjourned the hearing till December 15. The application, filed by Noshab A Khan in the LHC, prayed that Qureshi be summoned to record his statement that he was pressurised into giving Davis diplomatic immunity.
MAJID NAEEM CHALLENGES HIS ARREST BY NAB: Former IT consultant of all educational boards of Punjab, Dr. Majid Naeem, filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court, challenging his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Naeem, through his counsel pleaded that the bureau’s investigating officer had arrested him without obtaining permission from the competent authority: the NAB chairman. The counsel also said the case against his client was fabricated and based on malafide intent. He prayed the arrest of Naeem and subsequent physical remand be declared illegal. The NAB arrested Naeem following a reference filed against him on charges of misappropriation of Rs 2,797,850 from Punjab University’s funds, and misuse of authority during his stint as Punjab University College of Information Technology principal. The court had already dismissed his acquittal application in the case.
Soon after his remand, Naeem had filed an application for plea-bargain: willingness to return the embezzled money.
IRRIGATION DEPT CHIEF ENGINEER ISSUED CONTEMPT OF COURT NOTICE: Lahore High Court Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday issued notice for contempt of court proceedings against the Irrigation Department’s chief engineer for not implementing court orders.
Bandial issued this order on a petition by Faisalabad Irrigation Department employee Ansar Abbas. During the course of hearing, the judge remarked that the chief engineer would land in jail if he did not obey court orders. Such behavior by government functionaries was not acceptable, he added.
The judge issued him notice to register a reply by December 15.
