Police record sought over suspect’s bail plea

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the investigation officer to appear along with the police’s record to present arguments on the bail application of Baldia factory fire case’s suspect.

The court also directed the petitioner and special public prosecutor to present their respective arguments on the bail application. The court was hearing the petition of Zubair alias Chariya, nominated among the accused alleged to have set the Baldia factory on fire for the owners’ refusal to pay Rs20 million as extortion. Around 259 workers were burnt alive on September 11, 2012.

Zubair was nominated in the case along with Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders Hammad Siddiqui, Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, Abdul Rehman alias Bhola. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has rejected the accused’s bail plea.  

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the trial court had rejected his client’s bail plea without considering the facts on record. He pleaded to court to set aside the trial court’s order and grant bail to Zubair.

Military court convicts

The SHC directed the in-charge of the malir cantonment prison to make arrangements for a meeting of deaths row convicts’, handed down the punishment by military courts, with their families.

Petitioners Parveen Akthar Bhatti and Gul Sharif submitted that their sons Mohammad Farooq Bhatti and Gul Zaren were picked up by law enforcement agencies personnel in 2015 and they later came to know through the media that they were convicted by a military court in terrorism related cases.

They submitted that the detainees were incarcerated at the Malir cantonment prison and the in-charge of the prison be directed to arrange a meeting with the family members.

SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah directed the in-charge of the Malir cantonment prison to make the required arrangements and disposed of the petitions.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) had issued a statement in the media regarding sentncing Attaur Rehman, Gul Zareen and Mohammad Farooq Bhatti to death for their involvement in attacks on the Jinnah International Airport, SSP Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam, LEAs and ISI officials among other innocent civilians. They have been charged with the deaths of 58 individuals.

The concerned court also issued notices to the provincial and federal law officers to file comments on a petition against detention of Muttahida Qaumi Movement - London activist by the law enforcement agencies.

Petitioner Robina Parveen submitted that her spouse Waseem Akhtar was picked up by the law enforcement agencies on April 8 from an area in Shah Faisal Colony and his whereabouts were since unknown.  

Disabled employees case

The SHC has directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to submit a compliance report with regard to payment of salaries to disabled teachers appointed in KMC-run schools on August 8.

Petitioner Nawaz Khan and others submitted that they were appointed as teachers in KMC schools on the disabled quota but were not regularised. Their counsel submitted that the petitioners have not been given salaries for the last couple of years.

The District Municipal Corporation Korangi’s officer submitted that all outstanding dues of the petitioners have been paid while the dues of petitioners working in DMC Central and West would be paid within three weeks. The court was informed that all petitioners have been regularised.