KARACHI, Oct 24: The chief Justice of the Sindh High Court has been requested to constitute a bench to hear lawyers’ contempt application pertaining to police excesses against them and rearrest of Robin Piran Ditta, from the High Court premises, after he was released by the court.

The matter was referred to the Chief Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad by a division bench, comprising Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Amir Hani Muslim. Advocate General Sindh Raja Qureshi was present and so were the applicants and other lawyers.

Justice Sabihuddin in his order observed that senior lawyers had come to his chambers, including Adam Jaferi, advocate, with torn shirts, after the incident in which the police and their operatives in plainclothes had allegedly forcibly rearrested Robin Piran Ditta after he was set free.

He observed that the lawyers had moved an application regarding the incident which was kept on record.

Perhaps in view of the above, technically Justice Ahmed became a witness so he referred the matter to the chief justice for the constitution of another bench.

When the application came up before the bench on Wednesday, Justice Ahmed expressed displeasure over the manner in which lawyers were manhandled by the intelligence officials while they rearrested Robin Piran Ditta from the court premises, after his release was ordered by the court on Tuesday.

The bench, comprising Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Amir Hani Muslim, expressed its displeasure when a contempt application filed by some lawyers came up before it.

When the state counsel tried to oppose the petition, Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed had put him on notice for Thursday and had directed him to seek instructions before def-ending the alleged contemners.

The applicants are Noor Naz Agha, Syed Ghulam Shah, Asifa Rizvi and Ali bin Adam Jafri, advocates, who have identified Qasim Ghori (DSP) investigation cell, CIA, Saddar, and Tasarrud Mehmood, IO investigation cell, CIA, Saddar, and others contemners in the matter.

A constitutional petition was filed by Pak-American Solidarity Society and others in which first three applicants were appearing as counsel while the fourth applicant, being member of the petitioner, was also assisting the counsel in the court in the above petition.

While referring the matter to the Chief Justice of the SHC, Justice Ahmed, recalled the division bench’s order of Oct 22 in which the court had ordered that the detenu Robin Piran Ditta be released. The detenu was held in custody on suspicion of allegedly being involved in the killings in the office of Idara-i-Amn-o-Insaf located in Rimpa Plaza.