Govt notifies body to probe court siege

Karachi
The provincial government formally constituted an inquiry committee on Saturday, comprising two grade-21 officers, to probe the police siege of high court and anti-terrorism court buildings on May 23.
The chief secretary issued a statement notifying that chief minister’s inspection team chairman Abdus Subhan Memon had been appointed the head of the committee while works and services secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah would be its other member.
The committee will determine as to whether or not police had violated the high court premises on May 23. It will also ascertain as to whether or not any directives were issued to police to lay siege to the court buildings besides determining the legality of the action.
The committee will complete its investigation within 10 days.
A day earlier, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, during a meeting held to discuss the incident and the high court’s verdict over it, had decided to form the committee. The chief minister had also ordered the removal two superintendents of police, one from the Central district and the other from the South district, who had been deployed at the SHC on May 23.
That day, former home minister and estranged Pakistan People’s Party leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had to appear before the court for an extension in his bail.
The police had arrested 11 private security guards of Mirza at the high court building for allegedly possessing illegal weapons. Some reporters and cameramen were also roughed by masked policemen.