SHC serves notices on govt interference in police matters

'Sindh govt making the police ‘controversial’ in order to save criminals'

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) served on Monday notices to the Sindh chief secretary, home secretary, and others about the formation of an inquiry committee by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah against the-then Shikarpur SSP Dr Rizwan Ahmed Khan.

A bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, was hearing the case, where Advocate Ghulam Mujtaba argued that the chief minister was interfering in the internal matters of the police department.

He informed the court that the CM had issued a notification for an inquiry against Khan, while the-then Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr Kaleem Imam, in a letter, had maintained that the inquiry was being conducted without his consultation. According to the law, the IGP was in charge of the police and the CM cannot interfere, thus his intervention in the police matters was illegal, asserted Mujtaba.

The Sindh government was making the police ‘controversial’ in order to save criminals, he claimed.

The court has asked the advocate general to appear in person at the hearing on March 12 and issued notices to the chief secretary, home secretary and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2020.