Constitutional rights: Prosecutor general of Sindh asked to appear in Afaq petition
The MQM-H chairman fears for his life in prison and wants to defend himself in court.
KARACHI:
The prosecutor general of Sindh was asked to appear on November 21 in an application moved by Afaq Ahmed, the chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi).
He is seeking an urgent hearing for his petition.
The applications were filed through his authorised representative, Syed Iqbal Kazmi. Ahmed maintains that his life is under serious threat in prison.
On Monday, Kazmi submitted during a very brief hearing, that it was Ahmed’s inalienable right to appear and defend himself in person in court as lawyers who have represented him were being targeted and killed to keep him languishing in prison. He has been behind bars since 2004.
The MQM-H chairman stated that he had removed all lawyers who were representing him because of threats to their lives, as one of his lawyers and a close aide were recently killed.
He referred to a decision of at least three judges of the Sindh High Court who refused to hear his case, and said that these judges may also have been threatened.
Ahmed’s petition seeks details of all cases pending against him and an end to the registration of new cases by the Karachi police without the permission of the court.
He maintains that he was being implicated in one case after another at the behest of his rival group, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which wanted him to remain incarcerated so that no political opponent could exist in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2011.
The prosecutor general of Sindh was asked to appear on November 21 in an application moved by Afaq Ahmed, the chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi).
He is seeking an urgent hearing for his petition.
The applications were filed through his authorised representative, Syed Iqbal Kazmi. Ahmed maintains that his life is under serious threat in prison.
On Monday, Kazmi submitted during a very brief hearing, that it was Ahmed’s inalienable right to appear and defend himself in person in court as lawyers who have represented him were being targeted and killed to keep him languishing in prison. He has been behind bars since 2004.
The MQM-H chairman stated that he had removed all lawyers who were representing him because of threats to their lives, as one of his lawyers and a close aide were recently killed.
He referred to a decision of at least three judges of the Sindh High Court who refused to hear his case, and said that these judges may also have been threatened.
Ahmed’s petition seeks details of all cases pending against him and an end to the registration of new cases by the Karachi police without the permission of the court.
He maintains that he was being implicated in one case after another at the behest of his rival group, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which wanted him to remain incarcerated so that no political opponent could exist in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2011.