Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice Aalia Neelum, has refused to hear PTI leader Zartaj Gul’s appeals until she personally appears before the court. The chief justice issued the directive while presiding over a two-member bench hearing three appeals against the ten-year prison sentence awarded to Gul in nine separate cases. The registrar’s office had earlier raised an objection, noting that Gul had not surrendered before filing the appeals.
The appeals, filed through her lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar, challenge the verdict of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Faisalabad. Gul’s legal team argued that the ATC sentenced her without solid evidence, claiming the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. They further maintained that witness statements contained contradictions and that Gul’s name was not even included in the original case records.
In the petitions, Gul requested the Lahore High Court to overturn the ATC’s decision, which had sentenced her to ten years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 2 million. Her counsel argued that the punishment was unjustified and lacked legal merit, urging the court to declare the conviction null and void. However, the bench maintained that procedural rules required the appellant’s personal appearance before any appeal could proceed.
During the proceedings, Chief Justice Neelum inquired about Gul’s whereabouts, to which Barrister Zafar responded that she was in Dera Ghazi Khan. The chief justice noted that while the Peshawar High Court had granted her certain reliefs in the past, the Lahore High Court would not proceed without her surrender. She emphasized that the court was handling multiple similar appeals, and the same rule applied to all.
Barrister Zafar attempted to have the objection addressed first, arguing that the matter could be resolved before requiring her appearance. However, the chief justice firmly stated that the court would not even hear the objection unless Gul surrendered. She highlighted that court procedures must be followed uniformly to ensure fairness and transparency.
The bench subsequently adjourned the hearing, ordering Zartaj Gul to appear before the court at the next date. The decision signals a clear stance from the Lahore High Court on enforcing surrender requirements before hearing appeals in criminal convictions, particularly in politically sensitive cases.