Punjab govt to retract 'political cases' against PML-N leaders

• Provincial Public Prosecution Department seeks reports from DCs.
• Sources say cases can be recalled with govt's consent under certain laws.
• They say accused has to prove himself in court to eliminate case. 

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to retract all the political cases registered against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) high leadership during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led regime, Daily Jang reported.

The sources within the prosecution department said that there are 106 cases registered against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in 20 districts of Punjab, including Layyah, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, and Bahawalnagar, and over 150 other PML-N leaders.

The provincial Public Prosecution Department has sought reports and recommendations from the deputy commissioners (DC) to withdraw these cases.

The DCs had sent the reports earlier, 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, with the will of the court, all cases punishable up to three years by the District Public Prosecutor and cases punishable by up to seven years by the District Public Prosecutor with the permission of the prosecutor general and all other cases involving terrorism provisions before the framing of the charge and also after or during the trial, can be withdrawn with the consent and permission of the government.

The sources said that while the government is allowed to withdraw cases, it does not mean that the cases cease to exist.

If the case is withdrawn by the Punjab government, it will not be over. Several PML-N leaders said that cases have been registered against them with charges of murder.

The sources said that if someone wants to eliminate the case, he has to prove himself in the court of magistrate first under Section 249A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which is punishable by three years. If the witness is not present in the court, the case can be sent to the office under Section 265K of the CrPC.

The sources said that many leaders of PML-N have been booked in political cases during the PTI era and many leaders are declared police fugitives.