Tension in Badin: Govt must withdraw ‘false’ cases against Zulfiqar Mirza, says Fehmida

MNA claims Sindh police is biased, Badin SSP insists police acting according to law.


Our Correspondent May 05, 2015
Dr Fehmida Mirza. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The government must withdraw ‘false’ cases against former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, demanded his wife Dr Fehmida Mirza, the former National Assembly speaker and MNA from Badin.

“I have spoken to the Sindh IG about the situation and the biased role of the Badin police officials but he has done nothing,” claimed Dr Fehmida during a press conference at her Karachi residence on Tuesday, alleging that the provincial police was politicised.

This was the first time that the former NA speaker had come out in support of her husband openly. Criticising the role of the Sindh government, she said that the IG and chief secretary were representatives of the federal government but they weren’t impartial.

“This is now a matter of party workers who have made sacrifices for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its leadership. The raids against our workers should be stopped immediately,” she urged.

Dr Fehmida said that the life of her husband was under threat, with dozens of police vans deployed around his residence near Badin. “Is this democracy? It reminds me of a dictatorship,” she remarked. She feared that an untoward incident could happen if the tension was not defused at once.

“Even though I have the court order [issued for his protective bail], policemen are deployed outside our farmhouse in Badin,” she said, holding up the document. “His life is in grave danger since they are firing continuously. I strongly condemn this and request the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Sindh High Court chief justice to take notice of it immediately.”

Adding that neutral officials should be appointed on merit, Dr Fehmida said that she had recommended three names for the post of Badin SSP, including Hyderabad SSP Irfan Baloch.

Responding to Dr Fehmida’s allegations, Badin SSP Khalid Mustafa Korai insisted that the district police was impartial and was taking all steps according to the law. Speaking at a press conference in Badin on Tuesday, Korai said that Dr Zulfiqar had been nominated in four FIRs, including one at Tando Bago police station, and was granted bail in three FIRs registered at Badin police station.

“The police deployment around his farmhouse is there to maintain law and order,” he clarified, claiming that they had not opened fire. “We could have arrested him when he attacked the police station.”

Police deployed in Badin

On Tuesday morning, all routes to the Mirza farmhouse in Badin were blocked amid heavy police deployment. According to sources, dozens of police vans had cordoned off the link roads leading to the farmhouse, while aerial firing was also reported.

Around 1,000 supporters of the former home minister were present outside his residence when the police vans arrived. Sources claimed that many of the supporters gathered in Badin were armed, adding that there could be a gunfight if the police party tried to enter the farmhouse.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2015. 

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