Land-grabbing: Counsel seeks bail for Dost Mazari in ‘politically motivated’ case

• Anti-Corruption Court Judge Khalid Mahmood heard the bail plea.
• Dost Mazari’s counsel completes his arguments.
  
• Public prosecutor called tomorrow for cross-examination.

LAHORE: The counsel of ex-deputy speaker of Punjab assembly, Dost Mohammad Mazari — who was jailed by a court in a land-grabbing case — Tuesday urged the judge to grant bail to his client, arguing the case was "politically motivated."

Anti-Corruption Court Judge Khalid Mahmood heard the bail plea filed by Mazari’s lawyer Farhad Ali Shah.

Following the completion of Mazari’s counsel’s arguments, the judge directed the public prosecutor to ensure his presence in the court tomorrow for cross-examination.

On Friday, November 4, a district court in Lahore sent the former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly to jail on judicial remand.

The court took this action after rejecting Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab’s request for extending the remand.

Mazari was presented in court after the completion of his two-day remand.

Last week, ACE Punjab arrested the former deputy speaker of the provincial assembly in an alleged land encroachment case.

'Political tool'

Last month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) called out ACE Punjab for becoming a "political tool" for its recent actions against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The remarks were passed by the LHC's Rawalpindi bench when it heard the case filed by the minister against his arrest warrants issued by ACE Punjab.

"Your institution has become a political tool," the court told the Director-General of ACE Punjab Nadeem Sarwar, who was also present during the hearing.

"One [DG] comes and forms a case, another (DG) comes and finishes that case,” observed the court. It also slammed the official for obtaining Sanaullah’s arrest warrants by making a false statement.