SHC takes exception to Haleem Adil’s frequent arrests

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday took exception to frequent arrests of former Sindh Assembly opposition leader and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Haleem Adil Sheikh by the police and observed that such acts lent credence to the PTI leader’s allegations that the motive of the Sindh police was to keep him behind bars for as long as possible.

The observation came during a hearing a petition of Sheikh’s son Hasan Ali Sheikh, who sought details of pending cases against his father. The petitioner’s counsel submitted that as many as 16 cases had been registered against Sheikh from February 16, 2021 to May 10, 2023 and nine of the cases had been registered after May 7.

The counsel submitted that Sheikh was arrested on August 31 and since then he had been arrested five times soon after obtaining bail in cases. He said the objective of the police was to ensure Sheikh’s non-participation in the upcoming general elections and as a sign of disapproval towards the political party he was a member of.

A high court single bench, headed by Justice Omar Sial, after perusal of a police report, observed that on tentative and cursory assessment of Sheikh’s record it was certainly not stellar and he was nominated in many cases while several cases were registered before May 2023 when his alleged conduct and activities changed his fortunes for the worse.

The court observed that one can disagree with the political ideology of the petitioner’s father and the route he chose to appease his political party and intentionally resorted to conduct which may very well be categorized as a breach of the penal code and make him answerable on several counts.

It said it is evident that the PTI leader has a case to answer keeping in view the history of FIRs, but the manner and timings and his arrest and re-arrest in cases are unusual. The court observed that there were indications of the modus operandi deployed by the Sindh police, the intent of which seems to keep Sheikh behind bars for as long a period as possible.

The court further observed that the police have repeatedly arrested him after he had been granted bail in a case and the cases in which his arrest was required though known to the police are being disclosed in shifts to him.

The court observed that such acts add credence to his petitioner’s allegation that the motive of the police was to keep him behind bars for as long as possible, which is not just or fair.

It said the manner in which the police have conducted itself themselves was unprofessional and if not mala fide it certainly reflected a lack of independence and autonomy.

The court observed that police must not forget that the common man’s faith in the criminal justice system is at rock bottom and such conduct of police further erodes the common man’s confidence in the system. It expected that the Sindh police will take measures to sustain its professionalism, pride, self-respect and dignity. The court was informed that the petitioner’s father was booked and arrested in all FIRs and unless a law enforcement agency registers another case there also seems to be no pending investigations in which he could be arrested.

The court disposed of the petition with a direction to the Sindh IGP to ensure that police force always follows the law with complete independence and autonomy and only then the will people’s confidence in the force be restored.