SHC orders inquiry into incident of lawyer’s misbehaviour with police

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed the provincial police chief to hold an inquiry into a reported incident of misbehaviour with police by a lawyer driving his sports car in the city’s Defence area last month. The Sindh IG police was asked to submit a report within 15 days.

The direction came on a petition filed by the lawyer, Khawaja Shamsul Islam, seeking quashment of a criminal case against him and protection from registration of false cases. The lawyer submitted in his petition that he was booked by the Darskshan police for misbehaving with police officers. However, the court concerned had granted him bail in the case, he added.

He alleged that police wanted to book him in “blind cases on the instructions of police officers and ruling party leaders” and sought protection from harassment and registration of any case without permission of the court.

The lawyer also levelled allegations against police officials with regard to investigation of the registered case against him. After hearing the arguments of the counsel and the provincial law officer, the court directed the Sindh IG police to hold inquiry into the matter and submit a report within 15 days.

Detention cases

The SHC issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers on a petition against detention of citizens allegedly by law enforcement agencies.

Petitioner Syed Barkat Shah, Mohammad Tariq Hanfi and Jamaluddin submitted that police and law enforcers had picked up Ishtiaq Ali, Sharjeel Hanfi and Zulfiqar Ali from Docks, North Karachi and Surjani Town areas, and their whereabouts were still unknown.

They submitted that neither police were disclosing their whereabouts nor any details of the cases registered against them. The court was requested to direct the police and the law enforcement agencies to produce the detainees before the court and release them if not required in any cases.

Warrants out

The SHC issued warrants for the managing director of the Pakistan Television (PTV) for non-compliance of court orders. The court had ordered the MD PTV to regularise the service of Abdul Sattar in the corporation last year. However, despite a lapse of one year the order was not complied with.

Taking exception over non-appearance of the MD PTV during the hearing, the court and issued bailabale warrants director the managing director to appear before the court at the next date of hearing.