SHC restrains police from arresting Swati

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) Monday restrained the police from arresting PTI leader Senator Azam Swati in connection with multiple FIRs registered with different police stations in Karachi and other parts of the province.

The direction came on a petition challenging the registration of numerous FIRs against Swati. Petitioner counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan submitted that the Balochistan High Court had quashed five FIRs registered by the police in identical cases against the PTI leader and despite his acquittal, he was arrested by the Sindh police. A division bench — headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha — asked IG Sindh how cases of identical nature had been registered against the PTI leader with different police stations, as there were clear directions of the apex court in this regard.

The IG Sindh submitted that the FIRs were registered by different complainants and sought time to file response. The court observed that the IG Sindh should examine the contents of FIRs separately and submit a reply.

The court also took exception to the conduct of IG Sindh and observed that he should resign if he was not interested in his job. The IG Sindh said he respected the court and also expected respect being head of the police force.

The prosecutor general, however, apologized on behalf of IG Sindh and sought time to file comments. The court observed that the petitioner counsel contended that a large number of FIRs had been lodged against Swati throughout the province which related to the same subject matter of the original FIR that was registered in Islamabad.

The court directed the IG Sindh and prosecutor general to go through the same and compare it with all the FIRs lodged in Karachi and see if any of the FIRs was materially different from that which had been lodged in Islamabad (185/2022) keeping in view the Supreme Court’s judgment in Sughra Bibi case.

The court in meantime restrained the police from arresting Swati in any of the FIRs registered till the next date of hearing.