dawn.com
Asif moves HC for transfer of drug case
dawn.com
Benazir meets Inderfurth
While Hubby is fighting Narcotics charges in Pakistan, Benazir meets INDERFURTH of State Dept.
WHY!. put pressure on Nawaz to release hubby???? LINK CTBT, IMF LOAN AND RELEASE HUBBY LANGUISHING IN JAIL ON TRUMPED-UP CHARGES AS PER BENAZIR
Unfolding drama
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, Sept 21: Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's spouse, PPP Senator
Asif Ali Zardari, has moved the Lahore High Court for transfer of a 'bogus'
narcotics case against him from the court of Lahore district and sessions judge
Mian Jahangir Pervaiz, whose "determination to convict the accused hastily is
becoming more and more obvious and apparent".
"It has become very clear that the trial is being conducted on the dictates of the
government and the Ehtesab Bureau chairman, PML Senator Saifur Rahman
Khan", the petition filed by Advocates A.S. Najam, Farooq H. Naek and
Mian Muhammad Bashir said on Tuesday. It recounted the following instances
of the judge's alleged bias and prejudice against Mr Zardari:
The trial is being held in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, under the Punjab home
secretary's order in violation of Section 352 of the Criminal Procedure Code,
which empowers only the trial court to fix the venue. The judge has gone
beyond the direction and is holding the trial in camera. The petitioner is thus
being denied the advantages of an open trial.
The proceedings are, however, attended by Ehtesab Bureau officials, who
intimidate the petitioner and his counsel. An application for acquittal under
Section 265-K of the CrPC can be moved at any stage of trial and should be
decided before framing of charge. The special court which tried the plots case
against PML leader Nawaz Sharif did not frame a charge because of the
pendency of an application under the provision.
However, Mr Pervaiz is proceeding with the framing of charge without
deciding the petitioner's application under Section 265-K.
The defence has not been supplied copies of vital pieces of evidence despite
repeated requests. At one stage, the judge asked the petitioner to change his
counsel. Important dates of hearing were altered without notice to the
petitioner. The judge is said to be under consideration for elevation as an
additional judge of the Lahore High Court. Besides, the enmity of the
petitioner's family with that of Ziaul Haq is well-known and the trial judge is a
first cousin of the late general.
dawn.com
Benazir meets Inderfurth
By Our Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Sept 21: Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto met Assistant
Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth at the State Department on Tuesday, an
official said.
She arrived here on Monday night and will stay in the US capital for some
days. Senate Chairman Waseem Sajjad is also expected to arrive here shortly
while a team of prominent Pakistanis attending the UN General Assembly
session in New York will also be visiting Washington.
Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz will be in Washington for a day on Sept 30,
sources said. |
