MANSEHRA: The Abbottabad Circuit Bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday restrained the police from arresting senior lawyer Munir Hussain Lughmani of Mansehra and directed the senior police officers, including provincial chief, to appear before it to explain position on his earlier arrest in the Dua Zehra kidnapping case.

The provincial inspector general of police, Hazara Range deputy inspector general, and high-ups of Mansehra police will appear before Justice Shakeel Ahmad Khan and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel on the next hearing, whose schedule will be issued later.

The orders were issued after the bench heard the counsel for petitioner Lughmani.

The lawyers, including Shad Mohammad Khan, Sardar Aman and Asif Shah, insisted that the police had arrested their client on June 1, 2022, without lawful authority and on trump-up charges in the Dua Zehra kidnapping case.

Summons police chief, Mansehra officers on next hearing

They said their client had no role in Karachi resident Dua Zehra’s ‘kidnapping’ and that the girl had married Zaheer of Lahore on her own free will after leaving her house.

A lawyer said Mr Lughmani was summoned by the police thrice seeking his help in the Due Zehra kidnapping case but was arrested on the ‘fabricated’ charge of sheltering the couple.

The district and sessions judge had granted Mr Lughmani bail in the case on June 1.

BAN: The administration on Wednesday banned livestock owners and dealers from holding cattle markets for Eidul Azha in Mansehra city and its suburbs.

A notification by deputy commissioner Adnan Khan Behttani read, “The sale and purchase of sacrificial animals, sheep and goats could only take place at the cattle markets specified by the tehsil municipal administration.

“Anybody, who would violate this order, might be taken to justice under the relevant laws.”

POLL CANDIDATE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Qaumi Watan Party on Wednesday decided to field a joint candidate against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz nominee for the election of the deputy chairman of the Mansehra tehsil council.

The decision was made during a meeting here.

The participants included PPP provincial general secretary Shujah Salim Khan, JUI-F district general secretary Maulana Nasar Mehmood, QWP leader Ibrar Hussain, and village and neighbourhood council chairmen.

They unanimously named Malik Mumtaz as their joint candidate for the election.

Mr Mumtaz is a member of the tehsil council for being the chairman of the Lassan Thakral village council.

The PML-N has yet to name its candidate for the election.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2022