Political workers’ killings: Government asked to propose composition of judicial commission

The case was filed against the alleged extrajudicial killing of an MQM worker

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought the provincial government's suggestions for the formation and mandate of the proposed commission to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) workers by law enforcers in Karachi.

This direction came during the hearing of a petition filed by the party's lawmaker, Syed Asif Hasnain, who had sought registration of a case for the murder of activist, Suleman alias Salman, against the then Karachi police chief, East Zone SSP and Inspector Faheem.



The petitioner had claimed that Suleman, accompanied by his nephew Muhammad Nouman, was going to work on February 3, 2014, when the law enforcers arrested him and subjected him to severe torture in custody, which ultimately claimed his life.

During Tuesday's proceedings, the additional advocate general, Miran Muhammad Shah, requested the bench to allow time till January 28 to enable him to ensure the presence of the chemical examiner and the medico-legal officer, who had conducted the postmortem of the deceased.

Allowing the request, the judges directed Shah to also seek instructions from the Sindh government regarding how much compensation, under what law and through what procedure, can be paid to the victims' heirs.

"In addition to the above, the Sindh government shall also suggest the composition and mandate of the inquiry commission in the matter as this question is also pending since a long time," CJ Maqbool Baqar pointed out.

The bench made it clear to the parties that no further adjournment will be allowed in the matter and directed the Sindh AG to be present at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2015.