The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday expressed displeasure over the absence of a senior counsel during the hearing of a petition challenging the freezing of Moonis Elahi's assets and his declaration as a proclaimed offender. A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition filed by Qaisara Elahi on behalf of her son, Moonis Elahi.
NAB counsel appears; petitioner claims baseless cases
During the proceedings, counsel for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Waris Ali Janjua and Fatima Shahid, appeared before the court. The petition stated that Moonis Elahi was residing abroad and claimed that baseless cases had been registered against him. It further submitted that a petition challenging the freezing of his assets had earlier been dismissed by the NAB court.
Court questions maintainability
At the outset of the hearing, associate counsel informed the bench that senior lawyer Amir Saeed Raan was engaged in Islamabad and sought an adjournment. Expressing displeasure, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum questioned how court proceedings could be delayed due to a lawyer's engagements elsewhere. She directed the associate counsel to begin arguments based on the available record and produce the cause list showing the senior counsel's commitments.
When informed that the senior lawyer was attending proceedings at the Pakistan Bar Council, the chief justice remarked that such a practice was unacceptable. The bench also questioned the maintainability of the petition, asking whether the petitioner's mother could seek relief on behalf of a proclaimed offender.
Supreme Court principles cited
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum observed that the Supreme Court had already laid down clear principles regarding the rights of proclaimed offenders and asked whether any such individual had previously been granted similar relief. The court further observed that repeated adjournments and such practices were contributing to the growing backlog of pending cases.
Hearing adjourned indefinitely
Following the proceedings, the Lahore High Court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period.
