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LHC: Physical weakness alone can be a ground for bail under criminal law
The Lahore High Court has granted bail to a doctor who was arrested while suffering from Parkinson’s disease, observing that physical frailty is an independent legal reason for relief under Section 497 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Physical weakness is a separate legal ground for granting bail and is not confined to illness alone, held Justice Amjad Rafiq in an 11 page reported judgement.
The court held that where a medical report from the jail establishes the physical frailty of the prisoner, bail may be granted without assessing the gravity of the sickness. It said bail determinations should be guided by the constitutional principles of human dignity, proportionality and equality.
The verdict was announced while hearing the bail plea filed after the arrest of Dr Iftikhar Ahmed in a case registered at Sabzazar Police Station, Lahore on the charges of medical negligence during a child’s circumcision process.
According to the jail’s medical assessment, the court had found that the accused was suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological ailment, and depended on others for walking, talking and doing daily duties.
The court found that jail was providing medical treatment but it was not a reason to reject bail. It found that the notion of physical fragility goes beyond treatable disease to include conditions that preclude a prisoner from enduring the rigours of confinement as an average inmate.
The judgement also noted that physical weakness can be aggravated by poor prison conditions such as inadequate food, unhygienic surroundings, overcrowding and mental stress. It stressed that the constitutional principles of human dignity, equality and proportionality should be borne in mind while hearing bail applications.
Justice, the court said, includes shielding the poor and disabled from undue bodily suffering. In the judgement, judicial precedents from Pakistan, the UK, India, the US and Europe were cited, saying that physical fragility and old age are universally recognised as the most important legal concerns in the bail issues.
The court also said that if a jail medical report confirms a prisoner’s illness or physical weakness, bail may be granted without undue discussion of the nature or severity of the ailment. In the absence of such a report, the court may itself determine the physical health of the accused.
The court accepted the plea and directed the release of Dr Iftikhar Ahmed on post-arrest bail against surety bonds of Rs1 million with the direction not to influence evidence or intimidate witnesses, not to leave the jurisdiction of the court without permission and to relinquish his passport.
Latest News
Pakistan hammer Kazakhstan 15-0 in Junior Asia Cup
– Pakistan produced a stunning attacking display, thrashing Kazakhstan 15-0 in a completely one-sided Pool B encounter of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2026 in China.
The Green Shirts dominated from the opening whistle, keeping relentless pressure on the Kazakhstan defence and launching continuous attacks on their opponents’ goal.
Rana Abdul Sami and Rana Waleed were the stars of the emphatic victory, scoring four goals each, with both completing brilliant hat-tricks.
Nadeem Khan contributed two goals, while Basharat Ali, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Ansar, Muhammad Yahya Najeeb and Hamza Ali scored one goal apiece to complete Pakistan’s 15-goal rout.
Rana Waleed was declared the Man of the Match for his outstanding performance. Pakistan Hockey Federation President Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani congratulated the Green Shirts on their impressive and comprehensive victory. He appreciated the players for their aggressive display and expressed his best wishes for the team’s upcoming matches.
Business
Greece looks for stronger trade links with Pakistan, underlines demand of qualified workers
Greece’s Ambassador Eleni Pouriki has underlined the need to create chances for Pakistani skilled professionals in Greece as both nations are eager to diversify trade, investment and economic relations outside conventional industries.
Greek Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Andreas Papastavrou, while visiting Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) held talks with the LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol and discussed improvement of bilateral commerce and establishment of direct business contacts between business communities of the two countries.
Pouriki emphasized the important role the private sector might have in the expansion of Pakistan-Greece economic relations and urged for more intensive business-to-business (B2B) contacts.
There is demand for Pakistani qualified workforce in Greece and employment opportunities are accessible in agriculture, engineering and other areas, she said.
The envoy also pointed on the importance of diversifying bilateral commercial ties. Apart from textiles, she said, tourism and renewable energy were other fields with great potential for cooperation between Pakistan and Greece.
When asked about the tourist business, which is a major revenue earner for Greece, Pouriki said her country can share the expertise in improving tourism infrastructure with Pakistan.
President LCCI Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol said that Pakistan and Greece should look for more cooperation in agriculture and minerals and mining as partnership can provide new economic potential.
“Greece could benefit from Pakistan’s technology, expertise and experience in a number of sectors, particularly tourism,” he said.
Saigol said that the two countries need to have more exchange of business delegations and B2B meetings to enable the entrepreneurs to find possible partners and investment prospects.
Both sides agreed that enhanced cooperation between the Pakistani and Greek business sectors might help unlock latent trade possibilities and expand bilateral economic relations.
The discussion also underlined the prospects of enhancing Pakistan-Greece economic connections beyond traditional commerce to include cooperation in technology, skilled personnel, renewable energy, tourism, agriculture and mineral development.
Latest News
ATC extends interim bail of PTI leaders in May 9 charges
LAHORE: The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has granted extension in the interim bail of different Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in separate instances relating to May 9 riots and arson to October 6.
In other arson cases of May 9, the court granted temporary release to Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Azam Swati, Musarrat Cheema and others.
The cases relating to the May 9 occurrences were considered by two ATC judges. During the hearings, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Azam Swati, Musarrat Cheema and other suspects came before the court. The PTI founder’s two sisters Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan also appeared before the court.
The court ordered the lawyers to file their final arguments at the next hearing and also directed that the records of the cases be produced.
The accused are facing cases linked to the incidents of May 9 involving the burning of Jinnah House, Askari Tower and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) office, with other incidences of arson and vandalism reported during the turmoil.
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