SHC directs home dept to file comments on doctor’s status

The Sindh High Court directed the focal person of the home department on Saturday to submit comments after verification from intelligence agencies on the present status of the reference of a doctor, who has been placed under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act for the last couple of years by the home department.

The court was hearing the petition of Dr Akmal Waheed, a cardiac specialist, who sought the omission of his name from the Schedule.

The petitioner submitted that he was cleared of terrorism charges by the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court in 2005 and 2006 respectively, but the home department had placed him under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act and placed certain restrictions on his free movement and other fundamental rights that were guaranteed under the Constitution.

The petitioner’s counsel, Mohammad Farooq, submitted that because of police highhandedness, Dr Akmal migrated to the UAE along with his family to work at the Raisul Khaima Medical Duty and Dental College in the UAE. However, the UAE intelligence agencies detained him for two years on the recommendation of the Pakistani authorities for petitioner’s alleged link with a terrorist organisation and later deported him in August 2012.

The counsel submitted that the petitioner was again arrested by the police on his arrival in Karachi for violating a Fourth Schedule offence but a anti-terrorism court had granted him bail.

He submitted that since the bail of the petitioner, he was continuously being harassed by the police and he was summoned to appear before the police for interrogation time and again in connection with terrorism incidents in the city.

He submitted that his client was a doctor and had nothing do with any criminal and terrorism activities and presently he was running a private clinic. He said because of the uncalled for and illegal act of the police, the petitioner was facing problems in continuing his medical profession as he had to leave his patients unattended to appear before the police station where he was detained for several hours in name of interrogation.

The provincial law officer submitted a report mentioning that the two agencies had not responded to the letter of the home department. The police and other agencies had earlier sent a letter in which they had recommended keeping the name of the petitioner in Schedule because of his alleged links with banned outfits.

An SHC division bench headed by Justice Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah directed the provincial law officer to inform the court about the the present status of Dr Waheed’s reference as well as a report on retaining or removing the name of the petitioner from the terror watch list. It adjourned the hearing till April 19.

 

Detention cases

Sindh High Court issued notices to federal and provincial law officers on petitions against detention of citizens allegedly by the personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Sonia Mehwish, Uzma Parveen, Fozia Kashif, Abdul Aziz, Mohammad Aslam and Ayesha Bibi have filed petitions submitting that police and personnel of law enforcement agencies picked up Syed Qamar Abbas Rizvi, Sabir Mansori, Kashif Kaleem Qureshi, Wqar Rehan and Mohammad Mumtaz fom Gulistan-e-Johar, Liaquatabad, Easa Nagri and Ajmir Nagri areas and their whereabouts are unknown. Rangers also filed comments denying thje arrest or detention of Kashif and Waqar Rehman. The court directed the government law officers and officials respondents to make efforts for recovery of the detainees and submit reports.