LAHORE COURT GRANTS RELIEF TO SCRIBE IN TREASON CASE

ISLAMABAD:The Lahore high court on Monday gave relief to journalist Cyril Almeida, facing treason charges, by ordering that his name be removed from a no-fly list and the non-bailable warrant issued in his name be withdrawn.

A three-judge bench which had at the last hearing placed Almeida's name on the Exit Control List and issued a non-bailable warrant for his arrest for not attending previous court proceedings - reversed its decision after the journalist appeared in court.

Zafar Abbas, the editor of Almeida’s newspaper's editor, Dawn, has already announced that he is a law-abiding citizen and would definitely appear in the court on October 8. He said the notice served on Almeida was delivered at Dawn’s Islamabad bureau in the middle of last week, and journalists and officials at the bureau said the earlier two notices were never delivered. Abbas was also in court on Monday.

Also in attendance were former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who appeared before the full bench of the Lahore high court for the hearing of a petition seeking treason proceedings against them and the journalist.

Sharif, recently released from jail after receiving bail in a corruption case in which he was convicted, had also been absent from previous hearings following the recent death of his wife. Sharif, Abbasi and Almeida's attendance was noted and all three respondents were ordered to submit written replies to the court.

During the proceedings, one judge asked what action the government had taken with respect to the treason charges.