Court indicts Haleem, others

PTI leader maintains he is targeted as an act of ‘political revenge’, denies charges

KARACHI:

A local court indicted on Saturday opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh and others accused of interfering in state affairs and obstructing an anti-encroachment drive in Memon Goth, Malir.

Prior to the issuance of the indictment, the court recorded Haleem's statement.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader (PTI) maintained that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government had targeted him as an act of "political revenge" because he raised public issues in the provincial assembly.

"They [the relevant authorities] razed my cousin's farmhouse and when we visited a police station to lodge a complaint, we were booked in fake cases at the government's behest," the opposition leader claimed.

Haleem denied the charges framed against him.

At that, the court summoned more witnesses and adjourned the hearing until April 17.

The demolition episode

An anti-encroachment team of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had initiated a demolition drive in Malir on February 6, 2021, razing close to 70 farmhouses across five dehs and two sub-divisions. The farmhouses included those owned by Haleem and his family members.

Consequently, a clash was witnessed between police and Haleem and his supporters.

As soon as the drive started, scores of workers from the farmhouses gathered to resist the move. They staged a protest for over an hour, due to which traffic flow on the Super Highway was affected. Later, Haleem too joined the protest, declaring the demolition drive "illegal and an act of political revenge." He claimed he had acquired a stay order against the demolition of the structures from the court and threatened the anti-encroachment team and the Malir DC of taking up the matter with "higher officials."

The demolition drive was conducted on the directives of Malir deputy commissioner Ghanwar Laghari, who had issued a notification ordering a three-day demolition drive, from February 6 to February 8, in Deh Khakar, Deh Konkar, Deh Tore, Deh Kharkharo, Deh Malh and two sub-divisions, Murad Memon Goth and Shah Memon Goth.

According to the relevant authorities, the lease of the properties in question had expired in 2015, but the owners continued to occupy them illegally. The officials also pointed out that while the land was leased for poultry farming and agricultural use, it was being used for other purposes.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2021.