CJ LHC forms three-member bench to decide on Shehbaz's bail

LAHORE: Following the split decision on Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s release on bail, Lahore High Court (LHC) has formed a new bench to decide upon the matter, ARY News reported on Monday.

Chief Justice LHC Qasim Khan has formed a three-member full-court bench to hear the bail plea of Shehbaz Sharif.

The bench would be headed by Justice Ali Baqir Naji, while Justice Aalia Neelam and Justice Shahbaz Rizvi would be the member of the bench.

Yesterday, the Judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) bench came up with a split decision on Sharif’s release on bail.

Justice Sarfraz Dogar, who headed the bench, allowed the petition while its other member Justice Asjad Javed Ghural dismissed the same on merits. In his dissenting order, Justice Ghural also accused the senior judge of issuing the bail granting short order ‘unilaterally’.

Justice Sarfraz in the written order wrote that Shehbaz Sharif was arrested in the Ashiana case, why he was not arrested in the assets case, it is beyond comprehension why the NAB postponed the inquiry, not a single transaction in younger Sharif’s account was detected. However, the NAB accepted that TTs were sent in the name of Sharif as co-accused. When there is no concrete evidence, how one can be declared criminal, the judge said in his note.

In a dissenting note, Justice Asjad Javed Ghural said that he had asked the court to reject bail. He also hinted at rejecting bail in the chamber, but the co-judge announced the acceptance of bail on his own. Despite my clear refusal, the matter was brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court in a few minutes, he added.

“This is very unfortunate and rare example in the judicial history, which could not be expected from a senior member heading the division bench,” said the dissenting judge.