PPP supporters divide into pro-Zardari, pro-Mirza groups

Zulfiqar Mirza enters court in a procession of supporters.

KARACHI: The war of words between Asif Ali Zardari and Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has apparently created a split within the ranks of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

As it emerged on Saturday when Mirza appeared before an anti-terrorism court (ATC), seeking bail in newly registered cases against him, PPP leaders and supporters chose their sides.

Donning a starched white cotton kameez shalwar and traditional Sindhi topi, Mirza entered the ATC in the afternoon, flanked by dozens of supporters on both sides — some of them holding Pakistan flags — in a procession-like manner.

Heavy contingents of police commandos were deployed on roads and rooftops in the vicinity of the court. The entire Court Road remained a no-go zone for the public, even media personnel were barred from entering.

As soon as Mirza stepped into the court building in a hustle bustle, his supporters shouted the 'Nara-e-Hyderi', escorting him to an already jam-packed ATC-I courtroom. The court guards tried their best to stop irrelevant people to enter but the unusual fuss made their efforts go in vain.

Around a hundred people hovered over him as he sat in the front row of the leather-cushioned wooden benches. Some took photos with him while others made videos asking him questions. Mirza wore a calm demeanour, sporting a playful smile and chuckling over the jokes of his comrades before the hearing started.

Mirza was defended by two attorneys, Ashraf Samoo and Saifee Ali Khan. On the other hand, the state was represented by two special public prosecutors, Muhammad Khan Burero and Mubashir Mirza, appointed overnight for the case. Despite being on opposite ends, all the lawyers had one thing in common — they were all stalwarts of the PPP.

The ATC-I judge, Bashir Ahmed Khoso, entered the courtroom at around 12:40am. As the judge sat in his chair, defence lawyer Samoo, who is also a former president of the Malir Bar Association and the Peoples Lawyers Forum, started submitting his client's bail plea before the judge.

Despite the judge's presence, the courtroom presented the scene of a flea market — lawyers kept talking to each other, mobile phones rang and random people continued to enter and leave the room. However, the arguments continued uninterrupted.

An undeterred Mirza stood in the middle of his lawyers' panel as droplets of sweat streamed down his thick white beard. Listening to the allegations of the opposite side, he raised his finger in an attempt to seek permission from the judge to speak. However, his counsel advised him against doing so. "Please, Mirza sahib. Leave it," said someone standing behind him.

Tension gripped the scene as the judge approved Mirza's bail plea. His supporters shouted 'Shame, shame' against their opponents. This, in turn, resulted in a big clash outside the court.

Lawyers were divided in two groups — one pro-Zardari, the other pro-Mirza. The war of slogans such as 'Go Zardari Go' and the party's trademark 'Ek Zardari Sub Pe Bhari' echoed throughout the premises. Law enforcers, who were possibly deployed to counter such a situation, seemed helpless. Instead, they took a strange neutral stance and did nothing.

Female attorney harassed

As Mirza left the premises along with his counsels, a scuffle ensued between members of the two groups. Saifee Ali Khan, Mirza's female attorney, was allegedly harassed by the pro-Zardari group. Both the groups bluntly hurled abuses at each other.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2015.