Contempt application: Hearing of case against Mirza adjourned

The bench ordered the AAG and SHO to ensure attendance.

KARACHI: A warning was issued to one station house officer and another was given time to lodge an FIR against former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza on alleged charges of blasphemy.

The warnings came from Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi of the High Court of Sindh (SHC), who was hearing a contempt of court application filed by Sindh Industries Minister Abdul Rauf Siddiqui.

The hearing has been adjourned till January 12.

Two SHOs, the IGP Sindh and Home Department were cited as respondents in the case. When the plea was heard, the SHO of PS Kalakot sought time, and stated that the orders of the trial court were not served to him. He sought time to provide necessary documents.

The counsel for the applicant rebutted the SHO’s claim and said every document has been provided to him personally by Siddiqui.

The counsel claimed that the FIR was not registered for reasons best known to the SHO, including apparent pressure from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.

The court was also told that the SHO Gulberg was present even though he had been served with a notice to appear before the SHC on Thursday.

The bench ordered the Additional Attorney General and SHO to ensure attendance.

Rauf Siddiqui told journalists that he will not be disheartened by the delay in registering an FIR and says he will follow the litigation through to the end. He also appealed to the court to decide on the case without any delay.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2012.