‘Advocate Shar murder’ PTI chief requests SC to fix his plea today

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman requested the Supreme Court to fix his petition against the Balochistan High Court (BHC)’s order in the murder of advocate Abdul Razzaq Shar for hearing on July 4.

A two-judge bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ayesha A Malik will take up the petition today (Tuesday).

A division bench of the BHC comprising Chief Justice Naeem Afghan and Justice Aamir Nawaz Rana on 15-06-23 had dismissed the PTI chief’s application to quash an FIR registered against him regarding assassination of Shar.

Shar was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Alamo Chowk on Airport Road on June 06, this year. According to the police, the senior Supreme Court lawyer received 15 bullet injuries on his body and died on the spot. Two days later, the police booked Imran Khan in the case on the complaint of the lawyer’s son.

The murdered lawyer, Shar, had filed a constitutional petition against the former prime minister in the BHC, seeking proceedings against him under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution.

Imran Khan contended in his application that Advocate Abdul Razzaq was unfortunately assassinated whose wife also said that it was a family feud. However, at the instant of some of the state functionaries coupled with the statement of the deceased’s son, petitioner (Imran Khan) was attributed the role under section 109 Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

He has prayed to the apex court to restrain the Balochistan police from taking adverse action against him including arresting him till the final disposal of the titled petition.

The stay application is pending adjudications before the apex court. The matter relates to the suspension of further proceedings in the FIR dated 06-06-2023 registered at the instance of the deceased’s son also alleging conspiracy toward the petitioner/ applicant.

The PTI chief submitted that his protective bail is expiring today and due to security and other reasons as elaborated in the Civil Miscellaneous Application (CMA), he is unable to travel to Quetta and it is necessary to take up the CMA for suspension of further proceedings as his liberty and life are at stake.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023