SHC disposes of ex-CM Arbab’s plea, tells ACE not to harass him

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday disposed of a petition filed by former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim against harassment and implication in false corruption cases, directing Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) authorities to conduct themselves strictly in accordance with the law and not to harass him in any manner.

The directive came at a hearing of Rahim’s petition challenging harassment and the registration of false cases against him. He submitted that the present ruling party’s government was bent upon arresting him in false and fabricated cases on the basis of political enmity. He said the government was pressurising the ACE to initiate a criminal case against him. He asked that the government be restrained from taking coercive action against him.

The ACE circle officer in Tharparkar, Mithi, Safdar Ali Junejo, appeared before the court and submitted that an application had been filed against the petitioner, upon which an inquiry was conducted but no evidence was found against the petitioner with regard to allegations of the complainant.

He said that neither the petitioner was implicated in false cases nor was he being victimised. He added that the petitioner would not be arrested as no case had been made out against the petitioner after the detailed inquiry and he had referred the matter to the higher authorities. He assured the court that the authorities would act strictly in accordance with the law.

The petitioner’s counsel, after the perusal of the report of the ACE official, requested the court to dispose of the petition. On the petitioner’s plea against harassment, a provincial law officer submitted that the state functionaries were legally bound to provide protection to all citizens, including the petitioner, without any discrimination. He also held out the assurance that the official respondents would conduct themselves strictly in accordance with the law and provide protection to the petitioner.

A division bench headed by Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar, after taking the statement of the law officer and the ACE official on record, disposed of the petition, directing the official respondents to conduct themselves strictly in accordance with the law and provide legal protection to the petitioner’s life, honour and property. The court also directed the respondents not to cause any harassment to the petitioner in any manner.

Missing persons

The Sindh High Court also directed the police and other law enforcement agencies to file comments on petitions against the illegal detention of citizens allegedly by personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Petitioners Shamoon Yaqoob Karimi and Shahnaz Bibi submitted that Ammar Karimi and Inayatullah were picked up by personnel of police and other law enforcement agencies from DHA and FB Area and their whereabouts were unknown. They said police were not making efforts for the recovery of the detainees.