SHC calls AG, DPO in detention case

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court issued notice on Friday to the Advocate-General Sindh, the District Police Officer Hyderabad and other police officials on the petition of a woman challenging the detention of her two sons by the police.

Ms Sharimatia Rakha, resident of a village in Tando Mohammad Khan, claimed the police arrested her two sons, Jai Ram and Naroo, in a murder case, though the complainant did not name them in the FIR.

She said her sons had been arrested about a week back, but they had neither been produced in a court of law nor were the police disclosing their whereabouts.

The court was prayed to direct the respondents to produce the detainees in the court and order their release if they were not involved in any case.

A division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Ataur Rehman and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, after hearing counsel for the petitioner preliminarily, issued notice to the respondents for July 18 with directions to file comments along with counter-affidavit.

Ex-navy chief’s petition: The same division bench adjourned hearing of the petition of former navy chief Mansoorul Haq challenging the inclusion of his name in the exit control list (ECL). A standing counsel informed the bench that he had not received reply from the authorities concerned.

The petitioner said on account of placement of his name on the ECL by the FIA he could not go abroad for medical treatment.

The bench, granting further time to standing counsel Faisal Arab, adjourned the hearing to July 22. Mr Haq, with Commodore Mirza Ashfaq Baig (retd), was convicted by an accountability court at Karachi for causing a loss of more than Rs 1.8 billion to the national exchequer in the procurement of three vessels for the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation.

However, their conviction was turned down by the Sindh High Court. Against the Sindh High Court order, the National Accountability Bureau filed appeal the in Supreme Court, which has been pending since last year.

Accused remanded: Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court, who is also administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts at Karachi, remanded an accused in police custody till July 14 in a kidnapping-for-ransom case.

Abdul Shakoor alias Billo, who is facing charges of kidnapping six-year-old Abu Bakar, was produced before Justice Hani for remand request of 14 days. However, after going through the remand report, the judge granted only six days’ remand.

Investigation officer Mohammad Babar of the Anti-violent Crime Cell submitted in the remand report that the accused was arrested in Okara on a lead given by eyewitness Khalid Mehmood. He was brought to Karachi on transit remand granted by a magistrate concerned.

The police said Ifitkhar Ahmed had lodged a complaint that Shakoor and absconders Amanat Ali alias Chunnoo, Karamat Ali and Ms Siddiqa kidnapped Abu Bakar in Korangi, Karachi, on May 29 and demanded Rs five million in ransom for his release.

The kidnappers released the hostage after getting a ransom of Rs 175,000 at Bahawalpur railway station on June 4, they added.

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