HYDERABAD, April 4: The counsel for Motorway police officials on Friday sought time to file comments in response to the petition filed against them by All Sindh air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned private transport labour employees union.

Ashraf Jan, an official of the Motorway police, however, attended the court along with his counsel Anwar Ansari.

The court had issued notice to Babar Mushtaque, the senior patrolling officer on the petition on March 7. However, Mr Mushtaque remained absent from the court.

The court adjourned the matter till April 11 with directives to Ashraf Jan to bring the license of the petitioner.

Mohammad Nasir, the petitioner, president of the union, said that the Motorway police officials resorted to unlawful measures for taking bribe and on refusal by the drivers and conductors, they were harassed.

He said that they harassed the workers in the name of so-called search and if any driver raised voice, they not only tortured him but also impounded the bus without any reason, causing difficulties to the passengers.

The petitioner claimed that on Jan 11, both respondent Motorway police officials stopped bus (JA-9748), driven by the petitioner himself, conducted his personal search and when nothing was recovered they tortured him and charge-sheeted the bus under section B-52 (carrying the passengers in a dangerous position).

The petitioner termed the allegation baseless saying that at the time the bus left its stop, the number of passengers was as per the required capacity.

He said that the respondents snatched his license and asked him to go to the Motorway police station, Nooriabad, to collect his license so that they could trap him.

He prayed the court to direct the inspector general, Motorway police, to restrain his subordinates from harassing or humiliating the petitioner and that the respondent, Motorway police, should return the license of the petitioner.