Missing person: Wife takes back petition to save husband

They will kill my husband if you don’t close case, she says

KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday temporarily closed the case after the wife of a missing person told the court that she wanted to withdraw her petition to save the life of her missing husband, Mehmood Azam Qasmi.

“I want to withdraw the petition. Unidentified people are calling from private numbers and pressurising me to take the case back,” she said adding, “They threatened to kill my husband if I continued to pursue the case.”



She said that her husband was missing since nine months and his life was in danger. “For God’s sake don’t proceed with my case,” she requested the court telling them that “If you continue with the case, my husband will not return.”

Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, who headed the bench, asked if she had noted the number from which she was receiving the calls. The wife said that calls were made from a private number which doesn’t appear on the mobile phone. “I take back the petition, I will protest in front of the court if my husband isn’t released,” she said. Court remarked that we are concluding the petition temporarily, we will again fix the hearing if needed.

Hospital committees

The SHC on Thursday gave its approval for supervisory committees to help procure medicines and other supplies for government hospitals in all the districts.

An order by the Chief Justice of SHC said that these committees will be headed by district and sessions judges and will be responsible to monitor the purchase of medicines for the government hospitals in their respective districts.

There will be sub-committees comprising district health officers, medical superintendents of hospital as well as deputy commissioner and representatives from the account office to procure medicines.

The sub-committee has been formed on recommendation of the provincial health secretary, said the order. The committees have been formed to ensure transparency in procurement of medicines.

Bail plea accepted

The SHC, while hearing a case relating to Rs462 billion corruption reference against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others, accepted the bail plea of Athar Hussain and extended the bail of three other accused, Aijaz Chaudhary, Muhammad Safdar and Athar Hussain. The court, however, rejected the bail plea of accused, Abdul Hameed, and issued warrants for his arrest.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Iqbal Kalhoro directed Athar Hussain to submit 10 million rupees penalty sum and extended the interim bail of Aijaz Chaudhry and Muhammad Safdar. The reference against Dr Asim Hussain and others is under trial in an accountability court.

Bail extended

The SHC on Thursday, in case pertaining to the department of small industries against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Rauf Siddiqui and others, demanded investigation report from National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officer till January 28. A two-member bench heard the case in which the Siddiqui appeared before the court. The NAB prosecutor sought time to complete the inquiry. The court asked for a detailed progress report from NAB. Extending the interim bail of Siddiqui, court adjourned the hearing. According to NAB, Siddiqui made six employees permanent in his tenure.



Transfer of accused

The SHC, on plea for transfer of accused from Larkana to Karachi, has reserved the verdict until the completion of arguments by the parties. A two-member bench heard the plea. Accused Syed Muhammad Ali Rizvi, Faisal Mehmood, Tahir Naveed and Muhammad Shahrukh are serving life-time imprisonment. Faisal Mehmood alias Mota, arrested from nine-zero, who has been given the death penalty, is also imprisoned in Interior Sindh’s jail. An anti-terrorism court sentenced all the accused who were found guilty.

According to the prosecutor, the trial took place in Sukkur. Now the appeal is under trial in Larkana. It is difficult to transfer the accused from Larkana to Karachi. According to the lawyer of accused, in 2014 the accused were sentenced.

The plea has been filed against the sentence since 2014 but no action has been taken yet. It’s impossible to go to Larkana on every hearing, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2018.