Sindh High Court. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The plea, filed on behalf of the former senator by advocates Latif Khosa and Baqar Mehdi, maintains that the transfer of the KKF money laundering case from Karachi to Islamabad is illegal. It argues that the director-general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the interior ministry have violated the law. It pleads that the transfer of the case to Islamabad be declared illegal and the decision annulled.
The court issued notices for June 25 to the relevant parties.
Iqama case
The SHC directed all lawyers to ensure their presence in court on the next hearing of the Iqama cases against Faryal Talpur, Manzoor Wassan, Nasir Hussain, Sohail Anwer Sial and others. A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Agha Faisal heard the pleas filed to declare the accused ineligible to hold public office.
The court expressed annoyance over the absence of Talpur's counsel Farooq H Naek. The assistant lawyer said that Naek was in Islamabad therefore he could not appear in court.
Justice Mazhar asked whether Naek wanted to pursue the case or only wanted to linger on the proceedings.
The court directed all lawyers to ensure their presence on the next hearing and adjourned till June 26.
Alleged kidnapping
Meanwhile, a former police official broke into tears over the non-recovery of his four missing children before another two-member bench comprising Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto and Justice KK Agha. The bench was hearing the plea pertaining to the alleged kidnapping of the former police official's four children. The court directed the petitioner to submit the counter affidavit to the reply submitted by FIA.
"Just tell me if my children are alive or dead," said the petitioner Ghulam Mustafa. He maintained his former wife, Parween, and a man named Ayaz, kidnapped his children despite being paid ransom money. "Sub-inspector Ghulab Khan Chandio collected Rs400,000 from me as ransom money," said Mustafa, adding that he divorced his wife as she was associated with criminals. "My ex-wife is part of a kidnappers group. A case has been registered against them at Sachal Police Station."
The court directed him to submit the counter affidavit over the reply submitted by FIA.
Sentence annulled
The SHC annulled the sentence awarded to the accused in a case pertaining to possession of illegal weapons and explosives. A two-member bench comprising Justice Ali Mazhar and Justice KK Agha heard the plea filed by Javed against the sentence awarded to him.
The court annulled the sentence awarded by the trial court while announcing the verdict on the plea.
The court acquitted Javed, treating the time he had spent in prison so far as the sentence served.
A trial court had sentenced Javed to 14 years imprisonment in 2016.
Lack of medical facilities
Another SHC bench sought a reply from the federal government and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on the plea filed by former law minister SM Zafar and Ali Zafar against the CAA for the lack of medical facilities at Pakistani airports.
The court inquired whether doctors or medical facilities were available at airports.
The petitioner said that Tariq Zafar died of cardiac arrest on January 23 at Karachi airport due to the lack of medical facilities. He said Tariq Zafar was not given emergency treatment as neither doctors nor ambulances were available. The petitioner requested for an inquiry to be initiated against CAA officials for their negligence and the details of medical facilities from all airports be sought.
*With additional input from PPI
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2019.
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