Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday granted protective pre-arrest bail to leader of the recently formed Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Anis Qaimkhani who was stated to be a co-accused of former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain during his time as member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
The applicant, who returned to Pakistan from Dubai on March 3, submitted that he was not in the country at the time the case was registered, but approached the court as soon as he found out about the case’ proceedings.
Qaimkhani claimed that he and other MQM dissidents had flown out of the country as they feared for their lives, apparently in danger from MQM workers.
His counsel maintained that the applicant was implicated in the case on basis of statements of the accused; however, they had no value in the eyes of law.
He submitted thatthe trial court had issued arrest warrants against him and that he wanted to surrender before it and face proceedings but requested to be granted protective bail so that he could appear before the court safely.
SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh granted the protective pre-arrest bail to PSP leader for a week, against a surety bond of Rs200,000.
MQM leaders including Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, Waseem Akhtar and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Abdul Qadir Patel were among those said to have been accomplices of Dr Hussain; however, all of them had already obtained protective bails from the court.
According to prosecution, the formerpetroleum minister - a close aide of PPP co-chairman and former President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari - had provided medical treatment to terrorists of banned outfits, MQM’s militants and Lyari gangsters besides also providing shelter to them.
Plea against VIP protocol
The SHC admitted to conduct urgent hearing on a plea against VIP and VVIP protocols enjoyed by politicians, public functionaries and other high profile personalities during their movement; the hearing was fixed for April 21.
Petitioner Ansar Burney, who also heads the Ansar Burney Trust International, requested the SHC to take notice of what he said was a violation of the citizens’ fundamental human rights.
The petitioner maintained that VIP protocols had become a menace for citizens, in that they were being over-defensive in approach, excessive in content and obtrusive in nature owing to which the public was frequently inconvenienced.
He mentioned that ambulances carrying patients got held up in the traffic jams, while a number of people were unable to reach the airport in time, and to top it all doors of the hospitals were closed down upon the pubic whenever a VIP was to pass through a route or attend any of the mentioned facilities.
The movements had many a time caused for a number patients to die either before reaching the hospitals or at the facility’s doorsteps.
He maintained that he was not against provision of security to important personalities and dignitaries in the current law and order situation, but the common people should not be made to suffer due to such movements
He requested thecourt to direct the respondents and enforce upon them that roads/routes should not be blocked during any VIP/VVIP movements.
He also sought a direction for the President House, the Prime Minister House and provincial government not to infringe or curtail public liberty or violate fundamental rights by closing down services centres like the airports, the hospitals or suspending normal operations.
The secretaries to the president house, the prime minister house, the interior ministry, the provincial home department and chief secretary were cited as respondents in the petition.