SHC hearing: ‘Law enforcers should not harass Dr Akmal Waheed’
His lawyer says that the police detain the doctor for several days after terrorist attacks.
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court has restrained law enforcement agencies from harassing cardiac specialist Dr Akmal Waheed.
The doctor had filed a petition in the high court against law enforcement and other agencies for harassing him and cited the Sindh home secretary, IG Sindh Police, DIG Crime Investigation Department and SHO Gulshan-e-Iqbal as respondents.
Dr Waheed, a cardiac specialist at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Department and his brother Dr Arshad Waheed, a kidney specialist, had been prosecuted in 2004 for their alleged links with al-Qaeda. An anti-terrorism court had convicted them of sheltering and providing medical treatment to al-Qaeda and Jundullah activists. The Sindh High Court quashed their conviction and the Supreme Court upheld its order. Following his acquittal, Dr Akmal had left the country, allegedly in violation of restrictions placed on his movement.
His lawyer, Muhammad Farooq, submitted that the Sindh home department had placed Waheed’s name under the IV Schedule of the Anti-terrorism Act 1997, restricting his movement. He is also required to record his ‘good behaviour’ at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station regularly and seek permission to leave the city or country.
The lawyer contended that taking advantage of such restrictions, law enforcement agencies, particularly the Crime Investigation Department, were harassing his client. “This is in sheer violation of the fundamental rights of every citizens protected under the Constitution,” he argued. He pleaded to the court to restrain the respondents from harassing the petitioner. “Since his return to country, whenever a terrorist activity takes place, the CID staff summons Dr Akmal Waheed and keep him under detention for several days.”
After the initial hearing, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed the division bench, issued notices to the Sindh home secretary, Sindh police chief, DIG CID and SHO Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station for November 20, 2012. They were also restrained from harassing the petitioner.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2012.
The Sindh High Court has restrained law enforcement agencies from harassing cardiac specialist Dr Akmal Waheed.
The doctor had filed a petition in the high court against law enforcement and other agencies for harassing him and cited the Sindh home secretary, IG Sindh Police, DIG Crime Investigation Department and SHO Gulshan-e-Iqbal as respondents.
Dr Waheed, a cardiac specialist at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Department and his brother Dr Arshad Waheed, a kidney specialist, had been prosecuted in 2004 for their alleged links with al-Qaeda. An anti-terrorism court had convicted them of sheltering and providing medical treatment to al-Qaeda and Jundullah activists. The Sindh High Court quashed their conviction and the Supreme Court upheld its order. Following his acquittal, Dr Akmal had left the country, allegedly in violation of restrictions placed on his movement.
His lawyer, Muhammad Farooq, submitted that the Sindh home department had placed Waheed’s name under the IV Schedule of the Anti-terrorism Act 1997, restricting his movement. He is also required to record his ‘good behaviour’ at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station regularly and seek permission to leave the city or country.
The lawyer contended that taking advantage of such restrictions, law enforcement agencies, particularly the Crime Investigation Department, were harassing his client. “This is in sheer violation of the fundamental rights of every citizens protected under the Constitution,” he argued. He pleaded to the court to restrain the respondents from harassing the petitioner. “Since his return to country, whenever a terrorist activity takes place, the CID staff summons Dr Akmal Waheed and keep him under detention for several days.”
After the initial hearing, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed the division bench, issued notices to the Sindh home secretary, Sindh police chief, DIG CID and SHO Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station for November 20, 2012. They were also restrained from harassing the petitioner.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2012.