Petition on MQM worker’s killing aims to destabilise Karachi operation, SHC told

The bench called for comments from the prosecutor-general by February 27.

KARACHI: Police officials submitted before the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday that the petition regarding alleged extra-judicial killing of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker, Salman alias Suleman, was a plethora of lies that has been instituted to harass and pressurise the law enforcement agencies to destabilise the ongoing security operation in Karachi.

Headed by the Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, the bench took up the petition jointly filed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNA Asif Hasnain and father of slain activist last week.

AIG Karachi Shahid Hayat filed his reply, informing that the IG police had constituted an inquiry committee, headed by DIG South Abdul Khalique Sheikh, to probe into the death of Salman, this report was awaited.

He further told the judges that an FIR No. 28, 2014 under Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code had already been lodged at the Shah Lateef Town police station and the case is under investigation.

Shahid Hayat denied the allegations of extra-judicial killings as alleged by the petitioners, saying the allegations are baseless therefore the relief prayed by the petitioner against him may be denied. He also pleaded to the court to delete his name from the petition.

SSP’s objection

In his comments, SSP Zone east, Pir Muhammad Shah, submitted that Salman was neither arrested by police nor his nephew Muhammad Noman was along with their motorcycle when it was taken away by any police official.

The body of the victim was found on February 5 near the Malir River within the jurisdictions of Shah Lateef Town police station. The body was duly identified by the victim’s family member, Abdul Hameed, he added.

Superintendent Shah stated that FIR of the incident has been lodged and four samples drawn from victim’s body by the Medico Legal Officer, adding investigation of the case is going on smoothly.

“The petitioner has filed the present petition with unclean hands and has tried to give some other color in order to harass and pressurise the official respondents of the law enforcement agencies and to get undue favor from the court,” he added.

Pir Shah added that the petition is based on misstatement, malafide and ulterior motives which from the face of it is plethora of lies, which is instituted by the petitioner just to create harassment and to build pressure on the law enforcement agencies in order to unstable them in the Karachi operation, while concealing true and real facts from the court.

Giving an undertaking to provide protection to the family of the victim Salman whenever they would approach him in this regard, the SSP pleaded to the court to dispose of the petition.

SHO Shah Lateef Town police’s sub-inspector Sarfaraz in his comments said it is suspected that Salman was killed over personal enmity his body was thrown at the place of offence that suggest he was killed.

He claimed the chemical examiner’s report is negative, adding the investigation is being conducted by the SIO.

All police officials denied the allegations and pleaded to the court to dismiss the plea.

Adjourning hearing till February 27, the bench called for comments from the prosecutor-general by the next date of hearing.

Petitioner’s allegations

Hasnain had submitted that Muhammad Suleman alias Salman, a 33-year-old activist and employee of the Civil Hospital Karachi, was going to office with his nephew Noman on a motorbike when the personnel of the law enforcement agencies intercepted them near the Malir River on February 3. The personnel blindfolded and drove away Suleman to unknown place, but dropped Noman at the Native Jetty Bridge, who later narrated the whole incident to the detainee’s family, he added.

The petitioner had alleged that the Korangi Industrial Area police station’s house officer refused to entertain application of the detainee’s family when they approached to lodge an FIR of his missing. Later, Suleman’s body was found from the Malir River and the Edhi volunteers shifted it to the city morgue, the petitioner stated.

He maintained that the deceased, a 33-yaer-old employee of the Civil Hospital Karachi, was not involved in any criminal activity, but the police officials are harassing his widow and other family members to dissuade from filing a case.

The court was pleaded to order respondents provide shelter to the victim’s family and order registration of murder case against the AIG Karachi Shahid Hayat, SSP East Pir Bux and Shahrea-e-Faisal SHO Inspector Faheem Farooqui.