‘Rana Maqbool is an ordinary PO’

LAHORE: Prosecution Secretary Rana Maqbool Ahmed should be arrested and produced before the court in handcuffs after rejection of his appeal by the Supreme Court, say legal experts.

Talking to The Express Tribune, several experts said that after the rejection of his appeal, his status as a proclaimed offender (PO) and the warrants for his arrest stand revived and the police could arrest him at any time.

On July 12, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa dismissed the former Inspector General of Sindh Police’s appeal requesting the overturning of the Sindh High Court’s decision, which had held him liable for the charges against him.

Supreme Court Bar Association secretary Raja Zulqarnain told the Tribune that no one is above the law and Maqbool should have been arrested soon after the rejection of his appeal. He termed his appointment as prosecution secretary by the Punjab government, despite the fact that arrest warrants issued still stood, “condemnable and illegal”. Zulqarnain said, “It is highhandedness on part of his supporters in high places who have been keeping him away from the reach of the law even though Maqbool is the nominated accused in the FIR.” The Punjab government must hand over Maqbool to the Sindh Police after removing him from his post, if only to maintain its image, said Zulqarnain, adding that Maqbool must be produced before the trial court in handcuffs.

Advocate Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, an expert in criminal law, opined that the Punjab Police could also arrest him. He also called the government’s appointing Maqbool as a grade 21 officer “a travesty on the part of the Punjab government”.

Former federal law minister, SM Masood said, “After the Supreme Court order there is no difference between a common proclaimed offender and Rana Maqbool. He should have surrendered before the police for arrest after the rejection of his appeal.”

According to details, the trial of a case registered on February 9, 2005, at Karachi’s Artillery Maidan police station against former senator Saifur Rehman, his brother Mujeebur Rehman, Rana Maqbool, ex-DIG Farooq Amin Qureshi and Najaf Mirza, who was then SP of Karachi Central Jail, is pending before an additional session judge in Karachi.

On April 25, Additional District and Sessions Judge Abdul Razzaq had ordered the chief secretary Punjab to submit reports regarding the appointment of Rana Maqbool as secretary of the Prosecution Department and also about his whereabouts.

The court had issued the order after hearing the arguments of Ashiq Hussain Solangi, who appeared on behalf of President Asif Zardari. He informed the court that Rana Maqbool was a proclaimed offender and had been appointed on a key post in Punjab. Solangi added that even though Maqbool had been issued several notices and arrest warrants had been issued against him, he had not appeared before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2010.