Uzair Baloch moved to Mitha Ram Hostel, ATC told

The jail authorities informed an anti-terrorism court on Monday that “the convicted prisoner”, Uzair Baloch, the chief of defunct Peoples Amn Committee, was transferred to the Mitha Ram Hostel manned by Rangers given security concerns.

The central prison’s senior superintendent submitted a letter to the ATC-VXI in reply to its production order for Baloch in a murder and terrorism case registered at the Pak Colony police station in early 2013. He said: “The convicted prisoner [Baloch] could not be produced as he was shifted from the central prison to the Mitha Ram Hostel near Pakistan Chowk on the direction of the Sindh Home Department.”

He requested the court to issue another date of hearing so that his custody could be produced. Hereby, the court reissued Baloch’s production order for July 13. The home department on June 9 had issued a notification stating that in consideration of reports about the security concerns, the government had notified the facility at premises of the Pakistan Rangers at Mitha Ram Hostel as sub-jail to keep safe the custody of Baloch.

It added that the officials nominated by the inspector general of prisons shall be responsible for supervision and administration of the sub-jail and the Rangers and police shall be responsible for its external security.

It said the paramilitary force and the law enforcement agency shall take all possible security measures to avert any chance of criminal act or threat to the inmate and the staff posted at the sub-jail.

An alleged kingpin of the Lyari gang war, Baloch faces over 50 cases related to murders, kidnapping, extortion and terrorism. According to the reports, he was arrested through Interpol from Dubai but the Rangers showed his arrested from outside Karachi in January, 2016.

The army had taken his custody in April, 2017 on the charges of espionage and leak of sensitive security information to foreign intelligence agencies. He was handed back to the home authorities earlier this year. All of the cases against him at civilian courts are pending.

Last month, his family moved the Sindh High Court, challenging “his conviction by a military court”. His mother, Razia Begum, said the military and prisons authorities were asked for a copy of the military court proceedings; however, no copy of the judgment and other record and proceedings were provided.

She added that her son was convicted without jurisdiction and cogent evidence and he had the right to a fair trial and the legal right to appeal against his conviction. She also sought an injunction to the authorities to let her and her counsel meet Baloch in prison.