Counsel for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui has filed a contempt of court petition before the Lahore High Court against the ministries of interior and foreign affairs for releasing $20million to three American lawyers for defending Dr Aafia in the US courts, thus violating the court order.
The counsel, Barrister Iqbal Jafrree, submitted that the LHC on August 12 had restrained the federal government from releasing the money to American lawyers for pleading the case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui in American courts.
The court in its order had said: ìIf the payment has not yet been made to the attorneys in America, the same should be withheld till the final decision of the LHC.î
The counsel said the government, in sheer violation of the courtís order, had released the hefty amount to the panel of three American lawyers.
He requested the court to initiate proceedings against the ministries of interior and foreign affairs under contempt of court charges.
Earlier in petition, the counsel challenged the allocation of $20million (Rs 170million) by the government for fighting case of Dr Aafia through three lawyers in America and feared that the hard earned money of the nation would go to the pockets of some people and the needful would remain unachievable.
He said that the government laid aside such hefty amount for fighting the case while it did not bother to write to the ICJ spending a small amount to take up the matter.
He prayed to the court for restraining the spending of the said amount on fighting and moving the ICJ.
Barrister Jafrree also filed a habeas corpus petition seeking recovery of Dr. Aafia from American detention, on which comments from respondent ministries are pending.
Arrest warrants: An Additional District and Sessions court on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants for eight police officers of the Ravi Road police station for not complying with the court orders.
Despite the repeated court notices, Sub-Inspectors Sadiq, Irshad Khan, Asghar Ali, ASI Ghulam Qadir, Constable Nazir Ahmed, Liaqat Ali, Khalid Mehmood, and Malik Bashir did not appear before the court to record their statements in a drug case.
On Tuesday hearing, taking strict action against the police officials, the court issued their bailable arrest warrants. The court also directed the SHO concerned to produce them after arrest before the court on the next date of hearing.
Source: The News
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