Reply sought on jail facilities for Cheema

Additional secretary told to decide on former Punjab governor’s application in 3 days

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court’s (LHC) division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi directed the additional secretary home to decide within three days an application pending before him relating to provision of basic facilities to former governor Punjab Umar Sarfraz Cheema in jail.

The division bench was hearing the petition filed by the former governor’s wife Rabia Sultan challenging the conduct of the jail authorities of not providing her husband the basic facilities in jail.

As proceedings commenced, the petitioner’s counsel argued that Umar Sarfraz Cheema had been serving as governor Punjab in PTI’s tenure but he is not being provided the basic facilities in jail.

He contended that Cheema was arrested in connection with the arson, anarchy and chaos on May 9 followed by the former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest. He requested the court to direct authorities concerned to provide him the all possible facilities in the jail.

At which additional Advocate General Ghulam Sarwar Nehang argued that similar nature application is pending before the office of additional secretary home so the court may pass direction to the concerned office for its redressal.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2023.