SHC rejects petition on terrorism charges

KARACHI: A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) rejected a petition asking to file terrorism charges against the principal of the Karachi Grammar School (KGS).

Petitioner Nauman Abid cited SHO Boat Basin, TPO Clifton and District and Sessions Judge South as respondents. Abid complained that he had submitted a similar petition to the district and sessions judge but the latter had dismissed it.

Abid is a resident of Block-8, Clifton-5 at Khayban-e-Saadi and has been living there for the last 20 years. In 2004, the city district government had commercialised Khayaban-e-Saadi under the city council’s resolution. Following this, Abid had requested the KBCA for permission to construct a multi-storey building in place of his 2,000 square-yard bungalow. He claimed he was fulfilling all legal requirements but the KGS principal, GC Platts, started a ‘campaign against him’. The principal allegedly instigated students and their parents, who surrounded his house on October 1.

The campaign riled several people against him and he is now scared for his life and business. He went to the police station concerned and asked to file a case against those responsible but the police refused.

The sessions judge also rejected his petition on the claim that unless section 144 is imposed in an area, people gathering in one spot in the form of a rally is not against the law.

The SHC bench comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Imam Bukhsh Baloch also rejected Abid’s petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2010.