SHC seeks comments on plea for bringing govt officials to justice

SHO, three other cops remanded to CTD for 10 days

The Sindh High Court issued notices to the advocate general, the culture department and other respondents over a petition seeking action against government officials involved in the demolition of heritage building of the Jufelhurst School in Solider Bazaar area as well as alternate arrangements for students to continue their studies.

A non-governmental organisation said in the petition that the builder mafia in connivance with police, revenue and building control authority officials had razed the heritage building and a bungalow on April 9. 

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that that if a proper inquiry was not conducted, the main culprits – the builder mafia and officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority and revenue department -- could not be punished. 

He requested the court to take action against the officials responsible for the building’s demolition and direct the education department to ensure alternate arrangements for students so that they could continue their studies without any delay.

Suspects remanded 

A judicial magistrate (East) granted three-day physical remand of Station House Officer Irshad Ahmed of Soldier Bazar Police Station, Assistant Sub-Inspector Hakim Ali and officials Ahmed Memon and Ghulam Fareed over charges of involvement in the demolition of the  Jufelhurst School.

The faces of the four police officers were covered when they were brought to the court amid tight security by officials of the Counter Terrorism Department, which is investigating the incident. 

Three other accused -- Muhammad Abid, Zeeshan and Adnan Ali – have obtained protective bail in the case registered at Soldier Bazaar Police Station. 

Investigation Officer (IO) Inspector Sajjad Ali presented details of the school demolition incident. 

The court granted three-day physical remand of the four cops and directed the IO to complete interrogations within three days.

The Jufelhurst School was established in 1931 by Sybil D’Abero, who had also built her 500-yard residence on the school campus. The building was declared a heritage site by the Sindh Culture Department.

With no regard for its historical significance of the building, the claimants of the property, Adnan, Zeeshan and Muhammad Abid, allegedly had the house and parts of school building razed late on Saturday night.

Neighbours and the school administration called in police, who stopped further demolition of the site and demanded that the parties show evidence supporting their right to the property.

Students of grades 4 and 5, who arrived for their classes early on Monday morning, had no place to study because part of their school had been razed. They were forced to sit outside on the rubble to attend their classes. 

Who is the owner?

Talking to The News on Wednesday, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Amir Farooqi of the CTD said the school building was in the name of Vincent D Abero and belonged to a woman and her four children. The family had settled in United States in the late 70s, he added.

DIG Farooqi said they had detained some officials of the revenue department, including a Mukhtiarkar and a surveyor, for questioning. The detainees were said to have told the inquiry team that in the year 2011 a private person, Sajjad Bashir, had come to the Revenue Office with a general power of attorney and claimed that the property had been sold to him by the family, who had also given him the power of attorney.

The revenue officials claimed that according to their record it was a private property and Bashir had asked them to divide the land, which is 4,321 square yards, into two parts. They said they had made the changes on his request.

DIG Farooqi said the land was divided and a bungalow of 1,400 square yards and a bifurcation wall were built there.

Later, the revenue officials told the investigators that Bashir came to their office and sought an NOC (No Objection Certificate) by stating that he wanted to sell the land. They revenue officials gave the NOC without going through the legal procedure that includes issuing notices and placing advertisement in newspapers.

Moreover, upon that NOC the land was sold to three persons -- Abid Shabbir, Zeeshan Altaf and Adnan Ali – for Rs2.54 corers, DIG Farooqi said and added that in this regard, they had formally arrested Ahmed Memon, Mukhtiarkar of Jamshed Quarters, and City Surveyor Ghulam Fareed Chohan.

He added that they had found the involvement of police officials, including SHO Irshad Soomro and an assistant sub inspector (ASI) of the same police station, and had arrested them.

The DIG said SHO Soomro was posted at the same Police Station in the year 2011 when the bifurcation wall was constructed and at the time a Secretary of the government department was also present and when the enquiry committee asked for his statement narrated that he was not aware of the construction and when on the day his mobile officer had informed him he reached there and stopped the work of demolition.

Terror suspects

The administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts remanded five alleged terrorists to the police for 10 days. The suspected terrorists, Muhammad Nawaz, Bilal Ahmed, Tahir Zaman, Farhan and Dur Muhammad, said to be activists of a banned outfit, had been arrested by Rangers’ personnel in Mawach Goth a day earlier. 

They are facing charges of running a terrorist network in Karachi. They were also accused of having planned a destructive terrorist activity in the city. Suicide jackets, heavy guns and other illegal arms were allegedly seized from them. The police have registered 11 cases of different nature against the suspects.