LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to withdraw all political cases registered against the top leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime.
Sources in the prosecution department said that 106 cases have been registered against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in 20 districts of Punjab including Leh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala and Bahawalnagar and more than 150 cases have been registered against Muslim League (N) leaders. are
The Provincial Public Prosecution Department has sought reports and recommendations from the Deputy Commissioners (DC) to withdraw these cases.
The DCs had earlier sent reports which were returned by the prosecution department with objections.
Sources said that under the powers of prosecutors in Section 10 of the Punjab Criminal Prosecution Act, 2006, all cases at the discretion of the court are punishable by the district public prosecutor for up to three years and by the district for up to seven years. With the permission of the Prosecutor General, the Public Prosecutor and all other cases involving terrorism provisions may be withdrawn before indictment and after or during the trial with the consent and permission of the Government.
Sources said that the government is allowed to withdraw the cases but it does not mean that the cases are over.
If the Punjab government withdraws the case, it will not end. Several PML-N leaders said that cases have been registered against them on charges of murder.
Sources said that if anyone wants to dispose of the case, he will first have to prove himself in a magistrate’s court under Section 249A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which carries a three-year sentence. If the witness is not present in the court, the case can be referred to the office under section 265K of CrPC.
Sources say that political cases have been filed against many Muslim League-N leaders during the PTI era and many leaders have been declared fugitives from the police.
