High court ‘siege’: SHC tells CM to take action against IG Jamali

The police chief was held responsible for the manhandling of journalists.

KARACHI: Sparing the Sindh IG of prosecution under contempt charges for the time being, the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the provincial chief minister on Thursday to take action against IG Ghulam Haider Jamali and other officers.

These officers have been accused of failing to stop masked 'policemen' from besieging the high court, beating up journalists and the guards of former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza on May 23. A division bench, comprising justices Sajjad Ali Shah and Saeeduddin Nasir, was hearing contempt proceedings initiated against IG Jamali, Karachi police chief AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo, DIG South and other officers for not obeying the court's orders.

The bench also directed the provincial chief executive to decide the case and submit a compliance report to the court by June 1. If the CM fails to take action, the court will pass appropriate orders, warned the bench.

The judges had 'rejected' written apologies submitted by the IG and AIG for their failure to implement the court's orders and then concealing the facts. The irate bench had fixed May 28 as the date to frame contempt charges against them and ordered them to submit additional affidavits, if any.

During Thursday's proceedings, 12 officers including IG Jamali and AIG Thebo personally appeared and filed their additional affidavits. Once again, the senior officers offered their 'unconditional apology' to the court. They also made assurances in writing that they will not do so in the future.

Meanwhile, Sindh advocate-general Abdul Fateh Malik complained that the media had started a trial of the senior police officers, which would ultimately encourage criminal elements. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who was heading the bench, remarked that the court was compelled to initiate proceedings because no action had been initiated against those officers, who had besieged the high court premises.

The bench members asked the advocate-general who had stopped the chief minister from taking action against these officers. Malik replied that the chief minister had already taken notice of the incident but no action could be taken since the matter was pending before the high court.

The bench demonstrated judicial restraint to allow the high-ranking officers from being charged for contempt. However, instead of accepting their unconditional apologies, the two judges directed the chief secretary to communicate the court's directives to the CM to take action against those police officers who were involved in the whole episode.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2015.