Daily Times

LAHORE: Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Sunday ordered the authorities to arrest Mansha Bomb, who is accused of operating a land grabbing group in Lahore, a private TV channel reported.

A two-member bench of the apex court was hearing a citizen’s petition against the land grabber at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry.

The accused PTI parliamentarians – Malik Karamat Khokhar and Nadeem Abbas Bara – were also present in court.

As the hearing started, the chief justice asked, “Who is Mansha Bomb? “The police superintendent apprised the bench that the man was part of a huge land grabbing group in Johar Town. He further said that Mansha Bomb along with his sons is accused of illegally grabbing land in Johar Town. “70 cases have been registered against Mansha,” the SP said. “When we took action on the court’s orders, we started receiving calls to stop the operation,” he said.

In response, the chief justice inquired who had called the police officer to ask for favours. The SP told the judge that MNA Khokhar had asked the police to not arrest Mansha Bomb. “Did the nation vote PTI to power to carry out this thuggery? Will they make ‘naya Pakistan’ by helping criminals?” the chief justice remarked.

Addressing Khokhar, the chief justice said, “If the inquiry proves that you called the police to stop them from arresting Mansha, you will not return back [from the court] as an MNA. “Khokar, however, denied any association with Mansha. He further informed the court that he had not called the SP. “I had called the DIG Operations,” he added. The chief justice then summoned the DIG Operations.

During the hearing, MPA Abbas broke into tears. “The SP has registered false cases against me. I will resign if proven guilty in these cases,” he said. In response, the top judge said, “Why don’t you go ahead and resign first? Let me tell you why…because you lack the courage to do so. You people become thugs outside the court but shed tears inside. I will not allow any thug to reside in Pakistan.”

Published in Daily Times, October 1, 2018.