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KARACHI: Police attacked on Saturday media personnel stationed outside the Sindh High Court as former provincial home minister appeared at the registrar’s office.
Mirza reached SHC on Saturday to appear before an anti-terrorism court as bail in a case registered against him for harassing police men expired today.
Black masked commandos and heavy contingents of police led by acting SSP South Chaudhry Asad took position outside ATC-III.
The roads blocked outside the SHC had been blocked for public. Mirza’s wife and formed National assembly speaker also reached the SHC.
As per reports, three of Mirza’s guards have been taken into custody from outside the SHC.
On Friday, a heavy contingent of police raided former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza’s residence in the upscale Defence neighbourhood on Friday and detained three of his men.
Read: Three detained following raid on Mirza’s house
The South zone police have picked up Mirza’s driver Naik Muhammad, a servant named Ibrahim and Sikandar Brohi, one of his security guards. Police also claimed to have recovered three sub-machine guns from the men.
Mirza, disowned by senior Pakistan Peoples Party leaders, and some of his associates are facing multiple court cases in Badin and Karachi.
They were booked earlier this month on charges of attempted murder, attacking a police station and forcible closure of shops in a Badin market.
The situation in Badin took a turn for the worse when police officials raided Mirza’s farmhouse to arrest him and his associates.
The former minister has been granted pre-arrest bail in all the cases registered against him, which, he claims, were politically motivated.
Interior minister takes notice
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan took notice of police excesses on media workers outside the SHC.
In a statement on Saturday, Nisar said that violence on those reporting an event was not tolerable. He directed Inspector General Police and Director General Rangers, Sindh to ensure protection of media-workers as well as Zulfiqar Mirza’s wife Fehmida Mirza.
Nisar stressed that political matters must be resolved politically terming it the best way to avoid conflicts.
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