State files intra-court appeal against verdict

Respondents put on notice, directed to file their comments within two weeks.

KARACHI: An intra-court appeal was filed by the state on Friday, impugning an order by a judge of the Sindh High Court.

The appeal was filed by the Sindh chief secretary and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) chairman and against the verdict of Justice Bhajandas Tejwani who, while hearing a constitutional petition filed by five political activists, restrained the ACE from arresting them without the court’s permission for at least six months.

On Friday, Malik Changez Khan, Malik Waheed Ali, Malik Sherdil alias Raja, Malik Nadir Khan and Malik Pahar Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were put on notice by an SHC division bench after the state’s intra-court appeal.

The appellants maintained that the charges on the five political activists of usurping land with the connivance of revenue officials was proved beyond doubt and after seeking necessary approval and confirmation, six different FIRs were lodged by the ACE.

They appealed to the court to call for the records and proceedings of the case and to suspend the interim order by one judge of the SHC.

The bench, after hearing Sindh additional advocate-general Sarwar Khan, put the respondents on notice, directing them to file their comments within two weeks.

The respondents, belonging to the opposition, claim they were being politically victimised at the behest of their cousin and PPP stalwart Malik Asad Sikandar.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2010.