Suspended MPAs’ Sindh PA membership restored

SUKKUR: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday reinstated PPP leaders Faryal Talpur and Gyan Chand Asrani’s provincial assembly memberships while regretting the threats it had received over their suspension.

The two had earlier been suspended over increasing dog bite cases within their constituencies. The court expressed its anger over being threatened for the decision. "The provincial ministers wanted to influence the case by threatening us. One minister said the judge would be [targeted with] a rocket launcher,” the presiding judge, Justice Aftab, remarked in court. “We are not answerable to the Sindh government — so stop threatening us with the suspension of our salaries,” the court said. Talking to the media following the hearing, the MPAs’ lawyer, Farooq H. Naik, said he had apologised to Justice Aftab for the threats. The SHC’s Sukkur Bench has been hearing a petition seeking the suspension of the two lawmakers over rising dog-bite cases in their constituency.

The court ordered the secretary, local government to issue a written statement taking responsibility for dog-bite incidents. It also ordered the Sindh government to compensate the heirs of those killed by dog bites.