Drug dealer suspect’s lawyer wants same privileges as Imran Khan

A lawyer for a man arrested in suspicion of being a drug dealer took Lahore High Court to task for denying his clients the privileges given to former Imran Khan, currently also in jail.

A bail hearing was scheduled today at the Lahore High Court.

During the proceedings, the suspect’s lawyer cited legal precedents, including cases involving the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan who is currently incarcerated.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, presiding over the bench, deliberated on the eligibility for bail in such cases. He stated that the accused involved in drug trade deserve punishment without bail, emphasizing the detrimental impact of drugs on society and its influence in educational institutions.

The lawyer argued under Article 25 of the Constitution, the man deserved the same conveniences given to Imran in legal matters. “My client and the PTI founder should be considered equally under Article 25,” the lawyer asserted.

Responding to this, Justice Mansoor questioned the relevance of Khan’s cases to the current bail application. The lawyer replied back that despite facing numerous cases, the PTI’s founder had been granted bail in a cipher case by the Supreme Court.

“Imran Khan was granted bail despite facing over 200 cases, including terrorism charges,” the lawyer elaborated. “In contrast, my client faces only 14 cases and should similarly be eligible for bail.”

Justice Shah differentiated between the nature of charges against the PTI founder and the suspect, emphasizing the severity of the charges in each case.

The lawyer countered by highlighting the specific charge against the PTI founder, which carries the death penalty. “There is a cipher case against the PTI founder, a capital offense,” the lawyer pointed out.

The lawyer also drew attention to the disparity in facilities between the PTI founder and his client while in custody. “The PTI founder enjoys better living conditions in jail, which are not available to my client,” the lawyer argued.

After considering legal precedents and arguments presented, the three-member bench, headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, approved the bail application of the accused, Obaidullah.