Contempt of court: SHC defers indictment of top cops by a week

Sindh IG again submitted his apology to the bench but it refused to entertain it

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court deferred on Wednesday the indictment of the province's top cops till December 1.

At the outset of the hearing, the provincial police chief Ghulam Haider Jamali submitted his apology once again before the division bench, comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar. The bench refused, however, to entertain it, remarking that those who violate court's order cannot simply be pardoned. The chief secretary submitted a report before the bench, contending that the morale of the police officers will be adversely affected, if indicted. This may affect the security arrangements during the local government polls, which are scheduled to be held in Karachi on December 5. The court declined, however, this plea.

The bench's decision comes on a contempt of court plea filed by former home minster Dr Zulfiqar Mirza against the police. The plaintiff had contended that the police officers flouted the court's order to provide him security and instead tortured his supporters outside the high court on May 23.

Mirza claimed that some masked and armed policemen had besieged the high court building and tortured his guards and media persons during his appearance before an anti-terrorism court. The policemen had also smashed several parked vehicles and cameras of journalists, he added.

The high court bench, at a previous hearing, had ordered that contempt of court proceedings be initiated against IG Jamali, the then AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo, DIG West Feroz Shah, DIG South Dr Jamil Ahmed, SSU incharge Major (retd) Saleem, Legal AIG Faisal Bashir Memon, SSP City Fida Hussain Janwari, SP Saddar Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqui, former SP Raees Abdul Ghani, SP Headquarters Tahir Noorani and SI Jahangir Mahar.

On Wednesday, AIG Memon sought time from the bench to file his comments, saying that he has yet to receive the notice. The defendants also pleaded the bench defer a petition filed against their indictment with the Supreme Court. The petition is due to be heard in the coming days.

The bench deferred the framing of charges against the top cops for one week. Once indicted, the police officers will be tried for the offences.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2015.