KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has taken up a petition on May 12, 2007 when at least 50 people were killed as political activists fought pitched battles on the city’s streets ahead of the chief justice’s arrival.
The previously withdrawn petition was initially filed by Syed Iqbal Kazmi, a self-styled social worker who is presently with the Human Rights Commission of South Asia (not to be confused with the HRCP). On Tuesday, the application to restore the petition was heard by Chief Justice Musheer Alam and Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh. Former president Pervez Musharraf, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, former home minister Waseem Akhtar and a number of other people have already been served notice.
When the application came up for hearing, an additional advocate general of Sindh represented the provincial government. The Rangers chief was also represented while the SHOs of Artillery Maidan and Jamshed Quarters and City Court police stations were also present. The remaining private respondents were marked absent. The bench then put it off indefinitely, which could mean that the petition could be heard in the next two days or two years, depending on the court’s office.
On that day, the then dysfunctional chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was scheduled to address the silver jubilee celebrations of the SHC bar association and all parties in the opposition, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami National Party, organised a rally in his support, to escort him to the venue — the SHC building.
The MQM had also announced a competing rally. The roads leading to the airport and SHC were blocked by shipping containers. Lawyers and journalists were maltreated by gun-toting goons, all in their teens, wearing caps, white shirts and jeans and riding in white cars. The then CJ of the SHC, senior judges and others were prevented from entering the court’s premises by these men.
Several petitions, including a suo motu one, were filed but the proceedings were dropped during the interim set-up after Musharraf proclaimed an emergency and suspended the constitution. After Musharraf left, applications for the restoration of the petitions and proceedings were filed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2011.
COMMENTS (6)
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Judge Sahab! Janaab-e-Wala! Is this (May12) proceeding for personal reason or for public? Because public has bigger issues for you to take-up for the country.
@all The things happened on 27th dec were also wrong, I am not saying that was right, but there there was an important reason behind it.... But wat behind 12TH MAY was to supporting a dictator, and stop the way to the judiciary.
Bloodiest day !>>!? are you sure , because according to my information more people were killed on 27th December! than on 12th May. Is there even an editor in ET?? because no body proof reads anythings that gets published here, ET is becoming more and more like a typical evening masala newspaper!
Absolutely right, investigate may 12th....but then also investigate the three days of mayhem, pillage, killings all across pakistan between 27-30 dec, 2007....over 180 killed....thats 3 imes the death toll of may 12th.
@ salman orangiwala, spot on !! there have been much worse disasters what about the bombing and arson on ashura / chehlum? and many more such incidents?
So much hue and cry on the incident of May the 12th ............What about the mayhem ,arson , kiiling and rapeing of innocnt people on the 27th Dec and the follwoing days after Benazir's assasination ?
Why so much biasedness Mr.C.J ?