IGP, home secretary told to explain defiance of court orders

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued show- cause notices to the home secretary and the police chief for disobeying its directives for providing security to the complainant and witnesses in the Suleman Lashari murder case.
The notices issued by the court on a contempt of court application filed by the complainant, Ghulam Mustafa Lashari, father of slain Lashari, for not providing security to him and the witnesses.
Lashari was killed allegedly by SSP Ghulam Sarwar Abro’s son along with his police guards on May 8 in Defence.
Police said Abro along with five police constables came to Lashari’s house and killed him. Abro was also injured when a guard deployed at Lashari’s house and the victim’s brother, Zeeshan, retaliated. A police constable was also killed in the incident.
The applicant’s counsel, Khan Mohammad Buriro, submitted that the court on February 20, keeping in view the sensitive nature of the case where a son of a senior police officer was being tried for murder, directed the respondents, including the home secretary and inspector general of police, to provide all possible protection to the applicant and his witnesses and police escort comprising at least six armed police officials be placed at the disposal of the investigation officer on March 9 or on a date when he would produce the witnesses.
The counsel submitted that despite the court orders, the witnesses and the complainant were not being provided with protection and the witnesses could not be produced before the court due to lack of sufficient security.
A division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, asked the law officer to ascertain why the orders of the court had not been complied with. He observed that the proceedings would be initiated against the home secretary and the IGP in case of non-compliance.
The court issued notices to the respondents to show cause why proceedings for disobeying and disrespecting the directions of the court should not be initiated against them.
The court took notice the apprehension expressed by the investigation officer as well as of the fact that non-compliance with similar directions in the case of slain journalist Wali Khan Babar had resulted in the death of witnesses. The court directed the respondents to appear along with their replies on April 28.
The provincial law officer had assured the complainant as and the witnesses of protection. The court observed that police should take the murder as a test case and ensure that investigations were conducted in a fair and transparent manner.