The Supreme Court bench, led by Justice Malik Shahzad, engaged in an interesting dialogue with a lawyer during the hearing of appeals against the convictions of notorious Chotu gang members and other accused. The two-member bench, headed by Justice Malik Shahzad, conducted the hearing. At this occasion, Justice Malik Shahzad made remarks, saying that a capital punishment case cannot be heard by a two-member bench. Prosecutor Raee Akhtar Hussain said that this is a case of the famous Chotu gang. Justice Shahzad Ahmad Malik said, “The Chotu gang was quite famous in Punjab, but now the CTD has wiped them out. The CTD has even taken the lawyer who is fighting the case.”
The Supreme Court has put off the hearing of the case until April 7. Speaker of the Sindh Assembly, Rana Abdul Rehman, said that the legal process would be followed. He announced the suspension of MPA Usman Khan until he sought forgiveness. The MPA had said that he was a supporter of the Khilad Mqbool group and that his life was in danger. He claimed that he was being threatened by the group.
The Islamabad High Court’s decision to commute the death sentence of Maseeh to life imprisonment has been upheld. However, the Supreme Court has put off the hearing of the case until April 7. During the hearing, Justice Malik Shahzad asked the lawyer representing the Chotu gang, “You are asking for a date for April 7, but you haven’t even sought an adjournment. Why not?” The lawyer replied, “This is a blessed month. We won the World Cup in this month.”
Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi interjected, saying, “Don’t mention the World Cup.” Justice Malik Shahzad retorted, “Some people find it unpleasant to mention the World Cup.” The lawyer then said, “We also won the Champions Trophy in Ramadan.” Justice Malik Shahzad replied, “Don’t bring it up now, you didn’t mention it earlier. Don’t make it seem like something has happened now.”
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has launched a crackdown on the outlawed Khilad Mqbool group. On Monday, a government school student died after a shed collapsed on her in the Badiana area of Sialkot. The victim, a 15-year-old student, was going to perform Umrah. Police officials said that they had stopped the citizen and his wife in the FIA’s Economic Crime Wing and asked for their identification cards. The Punjab Home Department has released a list of banned organizations and unregistered charities.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two immigration officials on charges of taking bribes from passengers to clear their immigration. The accused were identified as Ahmed, also known as Qari Abdul Aziz Abu Dhar, who was involved in a terrorist attack. A letter was written by PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureishi, Yasmin Rashid, Aijaz Choudhry, Omar Saeed Cheema, and Mahmood Rashid.
The US International Development Finance Corporation has expressed its desire to increase its investment in Pakistan. President Asif Ali Zardari said that the elimination of exploitation and social inequality is the responsibility of the state. The court ordered that each accused submit a surety bond of 30,000 rupees.
