ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of the Punjab government’s petition seeking cancellation of former chief minister Pervez Elahi’s bail in a case related to illegal transfers and postings.
The court also dismissed an appeal against the bail granted to Muhammad Khan Bhatti.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi heard the case. During the hearing, Punjab Prosecutor General argued that the accused had obtained adjournments 18 times and were not appearing before the trial court.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi questioned why the accused were not attending trial proceedings. In response, lawyer Ali Zafar, representing Pervez Elahi and other accused, told the court that the prosecution’s claims were contrary to the facts.
He said Pervez Elahi had remained in jail for one year, but charges had not yet been framed and no evidence had been presented in the case.
The chief justice observed that presenting evidence was the responsibility of the prosecution, but appearing before the court was mandatory for the accused. He added that legal relief could not be misused.
The Supreme Court stated that if the accused failed to appear before the trial court, the relevant court would have the authority to cancel their bail.
The apex court directed the trial court to conduct proceedings in the case within two weeks.