PTI leader summoned in land case

Haleem says co-accused is from PML-N who is permitted to run election campaign

KARACHI:

An anti-encroachment court has summoned all accused, including PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Shaikh,  in a case involving alleged occupation of government land. The court took up the case on Saturday, with jail authorities presenting Haleem.

The assistant counsel for the accused stated that co-accused were unable to appear before the court because they were engaged in the general elections preparations. Haleem informed the court that the co-accused belonged to the PML-N, and they were permitted to run election campaigns.

The  court  adjourned  the  case until February 17, ordering all the accused to appear at next hearing. While speaking informally to the media after the court hearing, Haleem commented on his five-month imprisonment, expressing frustration about being arrested again in another case after obtaining bail in one.

Read: Haleem gets relief amidst legal turmoil

He said that depriving the PTI of its election symbol of bat posed no problem, as people nationwide know their “Kaptaan”.

Haleem is contesting from NA-238 with a table tennis bat as his election symbol. Voters would vote for the Kaptaan’s representatives for real freedom  without  fear  of  imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court issued notices to KDA, KMC, SBCA, and others on a petition against alleged encroachments on a rainwater drain.

Appearing before a two-member bench, headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar, on Saturday, Irfan Aziz, the petitioner’s lawyer, submitted houses and shops have been illegally built on the storm drain  in  Sector  5E, New Karachi.