Post-arrest bail hearing: Judge annoyed over FIA letter

Judge warned staffers not to accept any letter or application if it was not submitted by an authorised official.

LAHORE:

A sessions judge expressed annoyance on Friday over a letter handed over to a court staffer by the personal assistant of Additional Director-General (ADG) Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, seeking a month-long adjournment of post-arrest bails of two accused allegedly involved in the NICL scam.

District and Session Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem Ahmed snubbed court staffers, warning them not to receive any letter or application in this regard by the FIA ADG’s office.

The judge cautioned that movement of all relevant documents should follow high court rules and orders and an authorised officer of FIA should file necessary documents in open court, adding that no document should be entertained if sent by any other means, including ordinary post or fax.

The application, which also called for appointing an independent lawyer as a special public prosecutor in the NICL, was sent by the ADG’s office on Thursday a day before the post-arrest bail hearing of two accused Khalil Ahmed and Rizwan Ali Bhatti.

It is learnt that the application was handed over to a court staffer by a man named Akram, who introduced himself as the PA to the ADG FIA, on Thursday evening.

When the letter was submitted to the judge on Friday, he called up the staffer who had received the letter and warned him and other court staffers not to accept any letter or application if it was not submitted by an authorised official.

The accused, whose bail application was to be heard on Friday, reacted sharply when he was informed about the letter. He said that it was just a ruse to linger on the matter.

The counsel for the accused requested the court to take stern action on such unauthorised communication.

The judge said that the FIA should be given one more chance more, adding that he was not granting any unnecessary adjournment.

No one appeared on behalf of the FIA in the bail proceedings.

The judge then fixed August 22 as the next date of hearing.







Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2011.