It’s possible some visitor to Haleem Adil brought the snake, says Wahab

Reacting to the allegation levelled by Haleem Adil Sheikh, the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, that Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had tried to murder him by letting loose a snake in his cell while he was in police custody, Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Law and Environment Barrister Murtaza Wahab has hinted at the possibility of someone from outside bringing the snake to the jailed opposition leader to deliberately cause the troubling situation.

On Friday, the Sindh police and government faced severe criticism after a snake was found in the cell of Sheikh when he was in police custody. Later in the day, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was sent to jail.

Sheikh alleged that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had ordered to let loose a venomous snake in his cell on the directives of Bilawal in a bid to murder him. He said it was a cobra snake and he killed it after spotting it.

“The police do have evidence of whoever came to meet Haleem Adil Sheikh. If a woman came to visit him, it will also be determined,” said Wahab, who also acts as the spokesperson for the Sindh government, while speaking to media persons after attending a conference at the University of Karachi on Saturday.

He said that the state was under solemn obligation to respond in accordance with the law if someone challenged its writ.

Wahab accused the Sindh Assembly opposition leader of carrying weapons while visiting polling stations during the recent by-election in the PS-88 constituency in District Malir. Police had to act against Sheikh in pursuance of the obligations of the state, he said, adding that the PTI leader would be set free in case police did not find evidence against him.

“No matter to whatever extent Haleem Adil uses foul language, we don’t believe in doing victimisation,” Wahab maintained. To a question, he replied that the Sindh inspector general of police had to work under the provincial chief minister.

The law adviser claimed that the PTI, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Grand Democratic Alliance — the three major opposition parties in the Sindh Assembly — were not in a position to win any reserved seat for women and technocrats in the Senate from the province.

He said that in the latest by-elections in the country, people had rejected the ruling PTI.

The PTI had once more fielded the wealthy cronies of its leadership in the Senate polls, he said and expressed the hope that members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies would vote according to their conscience in the Senate polls.

The true representatives of public had become successful in the recent by-polls in the country as the masses had rejected the performance of the ruling PTI, Wahab said as he termed those by-polls people’s referendum against the ‘selected government’.