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PHC suspends ATC order for ex-minister’s arrest

By Akhtar Amin

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday restrained police from arresting a Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA)’s former NWFP minister and suspended the order of Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Abbottabad in this respect.

An ATC Abbottabad judge had issued non-bailable arrest warrant for the former provincial minister for local government Sardar Mohammad Idrees for not appearing in the court on terrorism charges.

The former minister had lost the February 18 general elections and had filed a petition in court for recounting of votes which was not accepted.

On February 26, 2008, police charged 35 protesters including the minister on terrorism charges for staging a protest demonstration, seeking re-counting of votes in Abbottabad district.

Later, ATC Abbottabad issued his non-bailable arrest warrant for not appearing in the court in terrorism charges. Idrees, however, challenged the ATC order in the PHC through a writ petition.

A PHC division bench consisting of Justice Jehan Zaib Rahim and Justice Syed Yahya Zahid Gilani suspended the ATC order.

The petitioner lawyer had also prayed the court to withdraw terrorism charges against his client, saying he was falsely implicated in the case.

After arguments, the court allowed the writ petition for early hearing and issued notice to NWFP Advocate General to explain the government’s position for imposing terrorism charges against the former minister in the next hearing of the case.

Bail petition dismissed: Another PHC single bench headed by Justice Shahjehan Khan dismissed bail petition of an accused robber Ali Rehman charged for abducting a cement dealer and snatching Rs 142,000 and two mobile phone sets from him.

State lawyer Ameenur Rehman advocate told the court that the accused abducted Mansoor Sardar and snatched the money and mobile phone sets from him at gunpoint on July 25, 2008.

He informed the court that a subordinate court has rejected bail to the accused and thus prayed the court to dismiss his bail petition. On this, the court rejected the bail petition.

NAB reference: Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference against the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) Abbottabad storekeeper in an accountability court on Monday allegedly for accumulating illegal assets worth more than Rs 14 million.

According to NAB NWFP, PESCO storekeeper Gohar Rehman, son of Gulab Khan, through embezzlement and corruption had accumulated over Rs 14 million during his service.

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