End of imported govt near: Asad Umar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar has said that the imported government's excesses against political opponents show that it is scared.

"Political rivals are being victimised and unbending media persons are being silenced. Where are the human rights champions?" he said while speaking to the media at Malir court in Karachi.

"Haleem Adil Sheikh, the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, is a victim of the worst form or political vendetta as he has been implicated in fabricated cases," Umar said, adding that all the cases against Sheikh have been framed by the PPP-led Sindh government.

"Haleem Adil Sheikh has severe pain in his leg, but he is not being given medical facilities. I tried to meet him in the Central Jail, but I was not given permission," he added.

The PTI leader regretted that Imran Khan, who is a former prime minister and leader of the country's biggest party, has been booked under terrorism charges. "I was speaking at Data Darbar in Lahore, while a case was registered against me in Islamabad," he added.

"This shows the imported government is scared and it cannot stay in power any longer," Umar said, adding that Sheikh is a strong opposition leader who bravely fights for the rights of the people of Sindh.

The PTI leader also questioned the flood response of the PPP government which has completely failed to tackle the catastrophic flooding and provide relief to people in Sindh.

Court reserves judgment

The Additional District and Sessions Judge Malir, Mushtri Khanum, has reserved the decision until September 7 on a petition seeking physical remand of Haleem Adil Sheikh, the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, in a case involving alleged grabbing of the state land.

While seeking physical remand of Sheikh, the Public Prosecutor stated that there was a case against the accused involving illegal occupation of 25 acres of land, in which, if convicted, he could face 10-year jail. He argued that the accused has not stayed in police custody even for a day; therefore the court is requested to grant a seven-day remand.

The Public Prosecutor further claimed that the accused had disregarded several notices served to him and did not cooperate in investigation. The co-accused also need to be taken into custody. According to the case, 11 people illegally grabbed the state land and built houses on it.

The counsel for Sheikh, Khalid Mehmood Advocate argued that the plaintiff was not entitled to registering a case according to law because the Commissioner can only stop encroachments on the state land. He requested the court to order registration of a case against the “autocrat” for violating the law.

According to the law, only the Registrar Cooperative Society has authority to register the case. “My client was in jail when the notice for inquiry was issued,” he told the court. Sheikh has been in jail since August 17 while notices were issued on August 18.

The court reserved its verdict on the petition till September 7.

Speaking to the media after the court hearing, Haleem Adil Sheikh said that it did not matter even if the government implicated him in 10 fabricated cases.

“I am Imran Khan’s soldier. Imran Khan is the leader of the whole world. The whole world listens to them. We are waging a jihad against the mafias in Sindh,” he said, adding that 27 concocted cases have been made against him.

Sheikh said that whenever he spoke up for the rights of the people, a false case was filed against him. “All cases against me are registered on the complaints of the Sindh government.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2022.