Blasphemy charges: ‘No concrete evidence found to book Zulfiqar Mirza’
Policeman appears on court notice to explain why he did not file a case.
Policeman appears on court notice to explain why he did not file a case. PHOTO: INP/ FILE
KARACHI:
The police did not register a blasphemy case against former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza as there was no concrete evidence proving it, an officer told the court on Friday.
Kalakot SHO Javed Baloch was summoned by the Sindh High Court (SHC) to explain why the police failed to register a blasphemy case against Mirza. The court was hearing a petition filed by another former minister, Rauf Siddiqui.
Siddiqui, a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, had filed an application with Kalakot police to register a blasphemy case against Mirza but the police refused. Siddiqui took the issue to court and on January 7, 2012, the court directed Baloch to record the petitioner’s statement.
The police were also told to determine if an offence was committed and then register a case against Mirza. Since the police failed to register the case, the petitioner requested the court initiate contempt proceedings against Baloch.
On Wednesday, SHC Justice Farooq Ali Shah summoned Baloch to explain why the earlier order was not followed.
Appearing on court’s notice on Friday, SHO Javed Baloch said he had recorded the petitioner’s statement and also watched the CD containing video clips of Dr Mirza during a press conference. However, there was not enough concrete material that would suggest that a cognisable offence was committed, he said. Farooq Ahmed, the lawyer representing the petitioner, sought time to go through the police official’s reply and file his comments. Allowing the request, Justice Shah adjourned the hearing till January 10.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2013.
The police did not register a blasphemy case against former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza as there was no concrete evidence proving it, an officer told the court on Friday.
Kalakot SHO Javed Baloch was summoned by the Sindh High Court (SHC) to explain why the police failed to register a blasphemy case against Mirza. The court was hearing a petition filed by another former minister, Rauf Siddiqui.
Siddiqui, a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, had filed an application with Kalakot police to register a blasphemy case against Mirza but the police refused. Siddiqui took the issue to court and on January 7, 2012, the court directed Baloch to record the petitioner’s statement.
The police were also told to determine if an offence was committed and then register a case against Mirza. Since the police failed to register the case, the petitioner requested the court initiate contempt proceedings against Baloch.
On Wednesday, SHC Justice Farooq Ali Shah summoned Baloch to explain why the earlier order was not followed.
Appearing on court’s notice on Friday, SHO Javed Baloch said he had recorded the petitioner’s statement and also watched the CD containing video clips of Dr Mirza during a press conference. However, there was not enough concrete material that would suggest that a cognisable offence was committed, he said. Farooq Ahmed, the lawyer representing the petitioner, sought time to go through the police official’s reply and file his comments. Allowing the request, Justice Shah adjourned the hearing till January 10.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2013.