Court asks police, revenue officials to explain involvement

Case filed by Muhammad Yousuf Khari, who runs a fuel station on National Highway near Steel Town.

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court has asked police and land revenue officials to explain their alleged involvement in a dispute between a petroleum company and a petrol pump operator.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam heard the case on Tuesday filed by Muhammad Yousuf Khari, who runs a fuel station on National Highway near Steel Town.

The petitioner had submitted that he had rented the place at Rs120,000 per month and also deposited a security amount of Rs2 million on June 1, 2010, with the petroleum company. “The business at the spot flourished due to sheer hard work and honesty, after which the company wants to take back the pump without any reason,” Khari stated.

The parties entered into a litigation but during the intervening period, the Steel Town SHO accompanied by Mukhtiarkar (Revenue) and petroleum company’s officers sealed the pump, removed the dispensers and also snatched Rs32,000 from the pump’s cashier, Khari alleged.

He stated that the Steel Town SHO acted on the orders of his superior, the Bin Qasim SP

On Tuesday, petitioner’s counsel Noor Naz Agha told the court about the Steel Town police excesses. The police and revenue officials were interfering in a private dispute to the detriment of the petitioner in collusion with the respondent company, he stated. After hearing both sides, the court ordered the additional advocate general of Sindh to seek replies from the Bin Qasim Town’s SP and Mukhtiarkar about their role in the civil dispute between two private parties. As an interim measure, the bench ordered the parties to maintain the status quo until the next hearing date.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2012.