SHC bars police from registering cases against journalist without court’s permission

Counsel maintains that petitioner is 'being targeted' for publishing news about Sukkur DIG

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court restricted the police from registering any more cases against journalist Ajeeb Lakho without the court's permission on Thursday.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Adnanul Karim, was hearing a plea challenging the registration of 17 cases against Lakho.

The counsel for the petitioner maintained before the court that Lakho was "being targeted" and cases were registered against him to "avenge the publication of news regarding Sukkur DIG Iqbal Dara." The counsel appealed to the court to order the provision of security to Lakho, who hailed from Gambat taluka in Khairpur District and was visiting Karachi for the case proceedings.

Following the counsel's appeal, the court addressed the police officials and questioned how 17 cases were registered against one person within a span of five months. Was it a mistake that he filed a complaint against a police official, the court asked.

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At this, the police officials maintained that cases were registered against Lakho in accordance with the law. Irked by this response, the court declared that the report submitted by the police on the matter was "dissatisfactory."

Justice Kalhoro remarked, "We know how FIRs are registered" and Justice Karim questioned, "How come cases were being registered against a person who was already under arrest?" The court ordered the police to "stop harassing" Lakho and restricted them from registering any further cases against him without the court's permission.

It also directed the government lawyer to review the report submitted by the police and adjourned the hearing till January 22.

Gas crisis

Meanwhile, a plea regarding the gas crisis in Sindh was filed by a citizen, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi, in the high court.

The petitioner has maintained in the plea that Sindh was being deprived of gas despite the presence of natural gas reservoirs in the province.

People across Sindh have been critical of the gas shortage and are troubled by the fluctuating gas pressure, the petition states, adding that while the domestic consumers in Karachi continue to face a gas shortage, supply to CNG stations also remains suspended due to gas shortfall.

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Holding the federal and the provincial government responsible for the gas crisis, the petition states that they need to be questioned on their "negligence" and lambasts the Centre for meting out "step-motherly" treatment to Sindh.

The plea moves the court to issue orders for ensuring an uninterrupted supply of gas to domestic consumers and industrial areas and direct the relevant authorities to identify and trace elements due to whose negligence the gas crisis has gripped the province.

Sindh energy secretary, the provincial chief secretary, finance secretary, the Ministry of Energy secretary, establishment division secretary, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority chairperson, the Ministry of Interior secretary, Sui Southern Gas Company managing director and LPG Distribution Association chairperson have been nominated as parties in the plea.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2020.