IO absent for illegal land allotment hearing

PSP chief claims no Karachiite was present at PDM rally

An accountability court adjourned the hearing of the illegal land allotments reference against Pak Sarzameen Party chairperson Mustafa Kamal and others after the investigation officer failed to show up at the hearing on Wednesday.

Kamal and other accused appeared before the court, which ordered the IO to ensure his presence at the next hearing. Kamal and others are accused of making illegal land allotments in Clifton.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Kamal claimed no one from Karachi was present at the Pakistan Democratic Movement's rally on Sunday. He stated that his party would hold a rally at the same venue on November 8, which the city's people would attend. "The country is running on auto-pilot. The conditions in Sindh are terrible and those responsible are making noise."

Also holding Pakistan Peoples Party responsible for the events leading up to Capt (retd) Safdar’s arrest, he said, "What happened at the Quaid's mazaar was wrong, and if allegations of pressure on the Sindh IGP are true, then that was also wrong." However, he questioned, would the pressure to arrest Safdar have been resisted if the person being arrested was a common citizen.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2020.