Right to campaign: Police to provide security to Afaq Ahmed

Law enforcers once again directed by Sindh High Court to not stop MQM-H Chief Afaq Ahmed from campaigning.

KARACHI:

Law enforcers in the city were once again directed by the Sindh High Court to not stop the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi Chief Afaq Ahmed from conducting his election campaign in parts of Karachi.

This direction came on Afaq’s plea, seeking contempt proceedings against the Landhi police’s officials for allegedly restricting his entry to hold a public gathering in Landhi.

The petitioner is a candidate for two National Assembly seats (NA-251 and NA-255) in Karachi.

According to Afaq’s lawyer, despite SHC’s direction on April 29 to not prohibit the party chief from carrying out his campaign, police officers had restrained him from entering certain areas.

On Tuesday, Landhi police’s deputy superintendent and station house officer assured the court that the petitioner won’t be restricted from entering any part of the city. They added that he would also be provided adequate security after which Justice Faisal Arab, who headed the bench, disposed of the plea.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.