Police raids PTI’s workers’ residences without female personnel: PHC told

Hamayun Khan
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) has stopped police from illegal harassment of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) while ordered respondents to submit reply regarding raids on political worker’s residences, on Wednesday.
PHC’s divisional bench comprised of Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Arshad Ali heard PTI 231 activists’ writ while Muzzam Butt Advocate appeared before court and argued that police had enlisted PTI’s workers and now raiding their residences.
The counsel argued that police has violated sacredness of home while most of the time raids are conducted without female personnel on PTI’s workers’ residences. He added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has its own customs and norms in which police cannot entered to houses but female personnel conducting search inside the residences. The counsel argued that petitioners are harassing due their political affiliation with specific party and added police act is unconstitutional and illegal. He argued that no case has registered against the petitioner’s workers.
In the meantime, Justice Arshad Ali inquired regarding cause of harassment of petitioners, however, the counsel argued that their political affiliation with PTI is the cause of nuisance while requested to stop actions against the applicants.
PHC has declared that no one can be harassment illegally and ordered respondents to submit reply while adjourned further hearing. The same bench of PHC has reissued notices another case to Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Police and Secretary Home Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with other respondents to submit reply regarding cases registered against PTI’s leaders named Murad Saeed and Senator Azam Swati across the province.
The counsel for petitioner Shah Faisal Ottmankhel Advocate and Additional Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Danyal Asad Chamkani appeared before court. The counsel argued that police is raiding houses of PTI’s leaders Senator Azam Swati and former Federal Minister Murad Saeed and harassing them. He argued that the petitioners are law abiding citizen and served in the highest public offices while added that they approached competent regarding cases against them but to no veil.
The counsel requested for provision of record against PTI’s leaders to contest their cases before court of law and added that petitioners didn’t obtained copies of First Information Report (FIRs) and cases registered them despite several pleas before competent authorities. The counsel argued that provision of cases against every citizen is constitutional right but petitioners are harassed due to raids on their residences while added that to stop Chief Secretary, IGP and Secretary Home from raids on petitioners’ homes without warrant.
Additional Advocate General Danyal Asad Chamkani argued that the writ can’t maintainable because neither petitioners nor their family member approached the court and added that several judgements is available in this regard. However, the counsel argued that it is Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and added that one petitioner is Senator named Azam Swati while Murad Saeed is former Member National Assembly while PHC reissued notices to respondents.
Similarly, another PHC’s divisional bench comprised of Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice and Justice Waqar Ahmad ordered Anti-Corruption Establishment and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit record of FIRs and pending Inquiries against former State Minister Ali Muhammad Khan. Barrister Yasin Raza appeared on behalf of government while Ali Zaman Advocate appeared as counsel for Ali Muhammad Khan before court during hearing.
The counsel requested for provision of record of FIRs at once because former MNA Ali Muhammad Khan has obtained bails in the cases but rearrested following his release from prison for seven times consecutively. Barrister Yasin Raza argued that petitioner can’t be exempted from arrest in every case on single order and added that record of cases has already provided to court while added that record should also be provided.
NAB Prosecutor Salman Fayyaz and Deputy Attorney General Hazart Syed appeared before court while PHC ordered to produce record of all cases and pending inquiries within seven days before court. In the meantime, Shah Faisal Advocate appeared on behalf of former provincial Minister Atif Khan and requested for provision of record of cases registered against the PTI’s leader.
Additional Advocate General Danyal Asad Chamkani objected that Atif Khan didn’t appeared before court but Nadeem Shah Advocate has filed the writ and argued that the petition did not maintainable. However, PHC’s divisional bench comprised of Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Waqar Ahmad declared that this bench can’t hear Atif Khan petition, so, today another bench will hear the writ today (Thursday).