Judicial curbs: Court bars police from arresting Mirza

Takes notice of masked commandos thrashing journalists, Mirza’s guards

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday restrained the police from arresting estranged Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza or lodging any fresh criminal case against him without its permission.

A division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, also took notice of the highhandedness of the masked commandos, who thrashed Mirza’s guards and media personnel outside the court.

The bench also ordered security for Mirza and members of his family.

Earlier in the afternoon, Mirza had tried to approach an anti-terrorism court (ATC) to seek extension in the protective bail. Officials said masked policemen in plain clothes started beating some 15 personal guards of Mirza and shifted them to some undisclosed place along with their arms.

The policemen, who were also wearing bullet-proof vests, snatched cameras and manhandled the cameramen of private new television channels to prevent live coverage of their actions outside the SHC.

Later, Mirza’s counsel advocate Ashraf Samon said his client moved an urgent petition in SHC, pleading for his security and action against the police higher-ups for thrashing his guards.

Responding to his plea, the SHC bench issued notices to the chief secretary, the home secretary and IG to appear on Monday to explain the police action. The bench also extended his protective bail in a case relating to the siege of the Darakhshan police station for one week to enable him to surrender before the trial court.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has asked DG Rangers and IGP Sindh to give complete security to Mirza.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2015.