PTI leader’s plea to transfer bail hearing dismissed

CJ questions Sawati’s counsel about joining investigation

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has dismissed a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Sawati, seeking transfer of his pre-arrest bail applications from an anti-terrorism court judge to another.

The petitioner had contended that the ATC judge had disclosed his mind. He stated that he did not have trust in the judge. As the proceedings commenced, the petitioner’s lawyer told the court that ATC Judge Khalid Arshad was hearing various cases of PTI leaders relating to the May 9 riots that had occurred after the arrest of the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan.

He implored the court that the judge had disclosed his mind when he remarked during the hearing of pre-arrest bail applications that he had watched a video in a USB that had shown that he was guilty.

He submitted that a judge should focus on the cases, avoiding the disclosure of his or her mind before deciding the matters.

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum remarked that the ATC had repeatedly directed the applicant to join the investigation but he had not joined it.

“You should have first joined the investigation,” she remarked. The petitioner’s counsel argued he had made all-out efforts to join the investigation.

The CJ observed that the applicant should tell the court about the grounds before levelling allegations against the judge.