Uzair Baloch confessed to have killed four ‘missing persons’: police report

SHC terms report unsatisfactory, summons East Zone DIG for an explanation

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) summoned the East Zone deputy inspector-general of police (DIG) to personally appear, while declaring the police report filed in the case of the disappearance of four citizens unsatisfactory.

A two-member-bench, comprising Justice Aftab Gorar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, was hearing the plea in which the provincial home department and police submitted the progress report.

According to the report, Uzair Baloch confessed to have killed the four citizens. Baloch’s confession and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report had already been submitted in the court, which revealed that Baloch murdered Constable Muhammad Amin alias Lala, Ghazi Khan, Sher Afzal Khan and Sheraz after kidnapping them.

He kidnapped and killed Muhammad Amin, in order to take revenge from him, in 2011. The bodies of all four persons were thrown into acid. The people who murdered the four persons have also been killed while Baloch is in the army’s custody.



The petitioner’s counsel argued that members of a Lyari-based gang, Shahid Bikik and Zakir Dada, who were involved in the kidnapping, were in jail and Baloch is in the custody of Army since the last eight months, so why wasn’t the investigation done before that?

The court declared the police report unsatisfactory and summoned the East Zone DIG to appear in person and ordered the police to submit a report within a month after further investigation. The petitioner had mentioned that the four were kidnapped from Karachi Central Jail.

Ranjhani murder case

The same bench accepted the request on Thursday to club together the pleas filed by accused Raheem Shah and brother of Irshad Ranjhani in his murder case.

In the plea filed by Ranjhani’s brother, his counsel argued that it was feared that the accused might not get punished as the police was not investigating the case properly.

Shah’s counsel argued, however, that the sections of the anti-terror law, which had been included in the FIR, were wrong. The sections of terrorism were being challenged therefore the pleas should be heard jointly. The court accepted the request to hear all the pleas collectively and adjourned the hearing till March 6.

Illegal govt appointments

The SHC sought a report on Thursday on the appointment and posting of former finance secretary Mehdi Shah, Sardar Shah, Zahid Shah and Nazeer Shah after they had entered a plea bargain and voluntarily return of money with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh and Justice Omar Sial, heard the pleas filed by former land secretary Ghulam Mustafa Lund and others related to the appointment and posting of people involved in corruption on government posts.



The Sindh chief secretary submitted the report regarding 36 people posted in different departments. The petitioner’s counsel argued that the orders passed by Supreme Court were misinterpreted. Chief Justice Sheikh remarked that they wanted to understand the case and then can pass orders accordingly. These officers return money voluntarily after committing corruption. This practice has affected the system a lot.

The court directed the petitioner’s counsel to mention that when these officials committed corruption and what amount of money they submitted in the national treasury. The court sought a report by March 13 and adjourned the hearing.

Baldia factory incident

The SHC directed the counsel of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) to submit a reply by March 13 regarding the compensation paid to the affected families of Balida factory fire incident.

The court heard the petition filed by PILER against Sindh government for not releasing further compensation to the affected families as per the announcement made by provincial minister Nasir Hussain Shah.

The petitioner stated that Shah on the May 1, 2018 had announced further compensation of Rs560 million for the affected families but to no avail.

Sharjeel Memon’s bail

The SHC ordered the petitioner’s counsel to ensure his presence on the next hearing of the case relating to the return of surety money against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon’s bail.

The hearing was adjourned without any proceeding due to the absence of Memon’s counsel. Memon had filed the plea for the release of his surety money, amounting to Rs7m. According to the prosecutor, Memon’s surety against the bail had been seized on judicial orders. The court, directing the petitioner’s counsel to ensure his presence on next hearing, adjourned the court. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2019.