LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued notices to Foreign Secretary Asim Iftikhar in two separate contempt petitions over alleged non-compliance with an earlier court order concerning two PTI-affiliated Pakistani citizens detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On September 14, the LHC had directed the foreign secretary to process and decide within 15 days representations concerning the detention of two citizens — Syed Salman Raza Zaidi and Muhammad Junaid Jahangir.

Justice Sadiq Mehmood Khurram heard the contempt petitions on Thursday. Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi appeared on behalf of the petitioners and alleged that the two individuals remained deprived of consular, diplomatic, and legal access.

He recalled the court’s Sept 14 directive and contended that the petitioners had not been formally informed of any decision on their representations, even though a considerable amount of time had passed.

The counsel urged the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the foreign secretary for non-compliance.

After hearing initial arguments, Justice Khurram issued notices to the respondent secretary for submission of his reply by October 29.

In the main petitions, the counsel stated that Zaidi went missing from his residence in Sharjah on Sept 27, 2024, and was subsequently taken into custody by UAE authorities.

He said despite nearly two years having passed, the petitioner, Faryal Zainab, had still not been provided clear information regarding the charges against her husband Zaidi, the judicial proceedings, any sentence, or the complete court record.

Meanwhile, Advocate Niazi said Jahangir was allegedly detained on Sept 24, 2024, at Dubai airport on his return from Saudi Arabia.

Muhammad Ibrahim, Jahangir’s father, filed the petition challenging the alleged failure of the federal government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to provide effective consular protection and legal assistance.

The counsel for the petitioners submitted that despite representations having been filed regarding the detention of both citizens before the foreign secretary, the representations had not been processed.

Both petitioners had asked the court to direct that legal and consular assistance be provided to Zaidi and Jahangir, that their judicial records be obtained and that diplomatic-level steps be taken toward their return to Pakistan.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday summoned the Punjab home secretary and the superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail in connection with a petition seeking the release of former prime minister Imran Khan’s three sisters.

All three of Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan — were detained by authorities in September, under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, as the PTI geared up for a planned protest march towards Islamabad. Their detention was ordered for 30 days.

A day earlier, Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, filed a fresh plea challenging their detention. It stated that Imran’s sisters remained at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail despite the lapse of the 30-day period of their detention.

Justice Abher Gul Khan took up the petition on Thursday.

Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar appeared on behalf of the petitioner and submitted that the detention orders of the three sisters had expired on Oct 19 and 20, but they had not been released.

Justice Khan asked the counsel why he had not made the Lahore deputy commissioner a respondent in the petition.

The counsel replied that the deputy commissioner had not been impleaded because the detention notification issued by the official had expired.

Uzma’s husband, Ahad Khan, also approached the rostrum and requested the court to summon the deputy commissioner. The judge, however, observed that the official could not be summoned as he had not been made a party to the petition.

Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing until Oct 28 and directed the home secretary and the jail superintendent to appear in person along with their reports on the matter.

In Wednesday’s petition, Shahrez contended that the detention period had expired, but the three sisters remained in custody. He asked the court to order their release.

It was argued that their detention was a consequence of their efforts for their brother’s release. It further contended that the preventive detention could not replace ordinary criminal law and that the order violated Article 10 as well as the safeguards of Section 3 of the MPO.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the jail superintendent to produce the detainees before the court and “set them at liberty, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”.

The petitioner asked the court to declare the detention orders void and issue directives for the detainees’ release, while suspending the operation of the orders.

LAHORE: The son of Aleema Khan, detained sister of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday, seeking the production and release of his mother, as well as two aunts.

All three of Imran’s sisters — Aleema, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan — were detained by authorities in September, under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, as the PTI geared up of for a planned protest march towards Islamabad. Their detention was ordered for 30 days.

Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, filed a fresh plea challenging their detention in the LHC on Wednesday.

The petition stated that Imran’s sisters remained at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail despite the lapse of the 30-day period of their detention.

The Punjab home secretary (grievance redressal commissioner), the inspector general of police, the Lahore capital city police officer and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent have been named as respondents.

The petition, filed through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, said the sisters’ detention orders were issued on Sept 20 and expired on Oct 19, yet the jail authorities had not released them despite requests.

“Therefore, detention of the detenues is against the law and fundamental rights of the individuals,” it contended.

The plea further said that the three sisters were not wanted in any case, and raised concerns that they may be implicated in “false criminal cases” if not released.

The petition argued that their detention was a consequence of their efforts for their brother’s release. It further contended that the preventive detention could not replace ordinary criminal law, and that the order violated Article 10 as well as the safeguards of Section 3 of the MPO.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the jail superintendent to produce the detainees before the court and “set them at liberty, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”. He asked the court to declare the detention orders void and issue directives for the detainees’ release, while suspending the operation of the orders.

The petition has been fixed for Thursday before Justice Abher Gul Khan.

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) five-day physical remand of a suspect in an alleged Rs35 billion fraud involving the online sale of counterfeit US postage labels.

The suspect, identified as a 33-year-old resident of Khanewal, had been charged by a Florida jury with defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) of $126 million, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida said on Sept 28.

The NCCIA’s Lahore zone announced his arrest at a press conference a day ago, saying that the suspect operated a website to market and sell over 5m fake postage stamps over a period of more than three years.

Subsequently, the suspect was produced before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo on Wednesday, where the NCCIA sought his 14-day physical remand for interrogation.

The agency’s investigating officer told the court that the suspect had allegedly been operating a website, LabelsBank.com, since August 2023 to sell more than 5m counterfeit postage labels.

Partially allowing the agency’s request, the court granted it a five-day physical remand of the suspect.

According to the US Department of Justice, the website run by the Pakistani national was not authorised to sell USPS products and services.

The counterfeit labels allegedly allowed customers to ship packages at rates “far below legitimate USPS prices”, it said, adding that it caused losses exceeding $126m to the postal service.

US prosecutors alleged that the website sold the labels for around $2 each, regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination. A US court order authorised the seizure and shutdown of the website.

On Tuesday, NCCIA’s Lahore Zone Additional Director Atif Ameer said eight special teams had been formed in Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh to trace the suspect and investigate the network.

He said 16 bank accounts had been used in the scam, including some allegedly operated by his close relatives.

LAHORE: The Punjab Defamation Tribunal on Tuesday ruled in favour of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari in a defamation suit against Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi, ordering him to pay Rs3 million in general damages.

In January, Bokhari filed the defamation suit against Qureshi seeking damages of Rs800 million. She filed the claim against the opposition leader, alleging that he made “baseless and fabricated” accusations against her.

In a short order issued on Tuesday, the tribunal said that the counsel for both parties had concluded their final arguments.

“The claim of the plaintiff is hereby decreed up to the extent of general damages amounting to Rupees three million (Rs3,000,000),” said tribunal member Anjum Raza Syed in an order seen by Dawn.

However, the tribunal dismissed the minister’s claim for special and punitive damages.

Meanwhile, the PTI said in its statement that its MPA was told to pay Rs84m in damages.

Bokhari’s counsel argued that the defendant, Qureshi, had acknowledged making the remarks in question during a television programme but had failed to produce any evidence to substantiate the allegations.

The tribunal said a detailed judgment would be issued separately.

The information minister had filed the suit following allegations Qureshi levelled at the time of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s then-chief minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to the Punjab Assembly.

He had alleged that the provincial minister got 200 paid individuals into the assembly premises, and that the journalists who put questions to Afridi were her salaried employees.

‘Attempt to respond to criticism with fines’

Commenting on the verdict, Qureshi wrote on X: “The voice I raise in favour of the people’s rights, the supremacy of the Constitution, and Imran Khan cannot be silenced.”

He asserted that as the opposition leader, his duty was “not to flatter those in power but to question them, defend the rights of the people, and stand firm against every undemocratic action”.

“Remember! Dissent is the strength of democracy, not its weakness. Attempting to respond to criticism with fines cannot prove any stance wrong.”

In its statement, the PTI expressed its deep concern over the verdict, assailing the Punjab government for being “unwilling to tolerate even political criticism and dissent”.

It contended that the PML-N introduced the Punjab Defamation Act 2024 and used its majority to turn it into law, which it has now employed.

Noting that Qureshi had been attempting to present a resolution in the Punjab Assembly against the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI said the emergence of the verdict “raises questions about its timing and political implications”.