LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has directed Punjab’s Inspector General (IG) Prisons to shift Muhammad Farukh, a civilian convicted by a military court in the May 9 riots case, from Sialkot Jail to Central Jail Faisalabad.
Justice Farooq Haider issued the directive after hearing Farukh’s petition, which pointed out that despite repeated requests to the Defence Secretary, no written judgment or transfer order had been issued.
Farukh, sentenced to five years by a military tribunal, is currently challenging the legality of his in-camera trial before the Supreme Court.
He told the court that his arrest, trial, and sentencing all took place in Faisalabad, where he and his family reside, yet he has been held in Sialkot since conviction.
Farukh stated that the weekly commute for his wife and two children, aged two and four, from Faisalabad to Sialkot has caused financial and emotional strain, often preventing them from meeting him.
He described the long-distance detention as detrimental to his children’s education and family life, arguing it undermined their well-being.
Justice Haider noted that, in line with the spirit of the Prison Rules, prisoners should ideally be held near their families, particularly when the offence and trial occurred locally.
The court summoned the IG Prisons to ensure the transfer is completed promptly, with all procedural requirements observed.
Meanwhile, a separate bench of the Lahore High Court led by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum adjourned hearings on multiple petitions, including those on the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act and the ban on social media platform X, due to the absence of the Attorney General of Pakistan.
