All officers who investigated Mohabbat-e-Sindh Rally attack case summoned

Suspects inform SHC that they were cleared during initial investigations

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has summoned all former investigation officers of the case relating to the armed attack on a political rally in which 10 people were killed in Karachi in 2012.

Headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, a two-judge bench directed the former investigation officers to appear on November 13 along with the entire record of the case.

These directives came on the bail applications filed by three suspects seeking bail in connection with their alleged involvement in the attack on the Mohabbat-e-Sindh Rally, which had been organised by the Awami Tehreek on the MA Jinnah Road on May 22, 2012.



The suspects – Muhammad Sarwar Qureshi, Faisal Jawed alias Mama and Pervez – had approached the high court against rejection of their bail petitions by the anti-terrorism court concerned.

The prosecution had alleged that the suspects, who were allegedly activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were involved in the firing on the rally which had resulted in the deaths of at least 10 persons including a woman and injuries to many others.

The applicants' lawyers informed the SHC that former investigation officers, who belonged to the police, had closed the investigations against their clients. The lawyers added that, later, the case was reopened after which the applicants, who had nothing to do with the alleged offence, were being tried again. The lawyers pleaded to the court to grant bail to the applicants.



On the other side, the prosecutor contended that the suspects had confessed to their involvement in the offence during the investigations. The accused had also affirmed that they had fired at the rally on the orders of the MQM leadership, the prosecutor claimed.

Opposing the bail pleas, the prosecutor argued that they deserved to be dismissed by the high court as the trial court had earlier dismissed them.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, the bench summoned all the police officials, who were previously assigned the investigation of the case, to personally appear before the court along with the entire record relating to the case on the next date of hearing fixed on November 13.