SHC summons all SHOs of Thatta and Sujjawal over complaint of ‘fake cases’

SSP told to submit details of cases registered against Sheerazi, others

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) summoned on Monday all the Station House Officers (SHO) of police stations in Thatta and Sujjawal and ordered the SSP to present a report on March 18 regarding cases registered against MNA Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sheerazi and others.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito heard the case in which the counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Mureed Ali Shah, maintained that following the 2013 general election more than 140 cases were registered against members of the community and party workers for contesting against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The investigation carried out on the orders of the high court proved that the cases had no basis. He argued that hence, actions should be taken against the people who filed the cases.



Safoora Goth case

The same bench summoned the investigation officer (IO) along with records on March 13 pertaining to the retrial of suspects in Safoora Goth killing case at the anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The court expressed displeasure over the absence of the IO, DSP Khalid Khan despite being served a show-cause notice. The prosecutor informed the court that the IO was on leave. The court maintained the order of staying the trial of the case. The court has also barred from arresting two suspects, Naeem Sajid and Sultan Qamar Siddiqui. A special anti-terrorism court had issued the arrest warrant for the suspects for not appearing before the court.

Sajid and Siddiqui are accused of providing weapons to the terrorists involved in the Safoora Goth killings. A military court had awarded death sentence to five other accused in the case.

Death sentence annulled

Meanwhile, another bench of the SHC annulled the death sentence awarded to an accused in a Lyari gang war case.

A divisional bench comprising Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto and Justice KK Agha announced the judgment as the prosecution failed to present evidence against the accused. The court ordered that the accused be released, if not required in another case.



According to the prosecution, an ATC had awarded the death sentence to Shah Nawaz and Rafiq, accused of shooting dead Nawal within the Preedy Police Station jurisdiction in 2011.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2019.