KARACHI, Dec 12: The Sindh High Court issued on Thursday notices to the advocate-general and a deputy attorney-general in a petition filed by the mother of Mohajir Qaumi Movement chairman Afaq Ahmed against raids by law- enforcement agencies on her residence.

Ms Akhlaq Jehan said in her petition, filed through Advocates Sohail Hameed and Abid Husain, that she lived with her husband, three sons and their children in Landhi-6, and her fourth son, MQM (H) chief Afaq Ahmed, and his family lived near Baitul Hamza, the party headquarters, in Landhi-2. The agencies had, however, conducted three raids on her house subjecting the occupants to harassment and humiliation.

The petitioner prayed to the court to declare that the raids were conducted in colourable exercise of power and restrain the agencies from violating her and her family members’ fundamental rights.

A division bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Roshan Essani and Justice Syed Ali Aslam Jafri, issued notices in the petition for Dec 23, when an identical petition moved by the wives of three other MQM (H) office-bearers are also fixed for hearing.

Advocate Sohail Hameed, meanwhile, filed a petition against President Pervez Musharraf’s principal secretary and the ISI chief requesting the court to restrain them from indulging in politics.

Pearl case: Fazal Karim, driver of Maulana Saood Fattani, owner of the plot of land from where slain US journalist Daniel Pearl’s remains were recovered, was never taken into custody by the CID or brought to its office at Civil Lines, two deputy superintendents of police submitted on oath before the Sindh High Court on Thursday.

DSPs Abdul Hafeez Junejo and Fayyaz Khan were replying to an allegation by an undertrial prisoner, Mazharul Hasan, that he had seen Fazal Karim, whose detention is alleged by his wife but denied by police, with them at the CID office. Hasan said in his affidavit that Fazal Karim, who was known to him as a worker of Al Rashid Trust, was lodged in the CID lockup with him.

The CID officials also denied that they arrested or detained Hasan. They said in their counter-affidavits that Hasan was arrested by the Orangi Town police in connection with charges of terrorism.

Petitioner Rehana Karim’s counsel, Khwaja Naveed Ahmed, was allowed by the court to file a rejoinder on oath on behalf of Hasan in reply to the DSPs’ counter-affidavits.

EVICTION STOPPED: The Sindh High Court restrained a builder on Thursday from dispossessing an owner of the occupation of a flat in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.