KARACHI: Govt told to ascertain whereabouts of activist
KARACHI, June 17: The Sindh High Court on Friday directed the law officers of the provincial and federal governments to ascertain the whereabouts of a Harkatul Mujahidden Al-Alami activist, stated to have been arrested by the law-enforcement agencies.
The court was hearing a petition by Mohammad Arif who submitted that his son-in-law Mohammad Jamil Memon went to Swat for a Tablighi mission in January and he was allegedly arrested by the law-enforcement agencies in connection of the US Consulate car bombing case and conspiracy to assassinate President Pervaiz Musharaf.
His counsel Ashfaq Janjua submitted that the detainee had not been produced before any court of law and his whereabouts are still unknown.
He also expressed the apprehension that the detainee may be handed to any other country.
The provincial and federal law officers told the court that the concerned LEA has been contacted and their reply is awaited.
SHC’s division bench, comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Amir Hani Muslim, directed the law officers to ascertain the whereabouts of the detainee and adjourned the hearing of the petition till June 24.
ARREST DENIED: The Sindh home department on Friday denied the arrest of Ammar alias Ali Abdul Aziz, an alleged Al Qaeda financier, submitting that he had not been detained by any unit of the law-enforcement agency of the Sindh government.
The Sindh High Court was hearing a petition by Ms Marium Khatoon, challenging the detention of her son by the LEA in Osmanabad in May 2002.
She alleged that besides her son, the LEA concerned had earlier arrested her brother Khalid Mehmood Sheikh, two sons-in-law Abdul Basit alias Ramzi Yousuf, Abdul Qadir and nephew Abdul Karim Mehmood alias Abu Moosab Arochi on suspicion of having links with Al Qaeda.
Khalid Mehmood Sheikh and Ramzi Yosuf were handed to the US government while whereabouts of her son, Abdul Qadir and Abdul Karim Mehmood were still unknown, she mentioned in the petition, insisting that her relatives were not foreigners.
She expressed the apprehension that her son may be handed to the US government.
Petitioner’s counsel Ghulam Qadir Jatoi produced a list of petitioner’s relatives who are missing since 2002.
SHC’s division bench, comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Amir Hani Muslim, asked the petitioner’s counsel to include names of other detainees in the petition and adjourned the hearing till June 22.
APPEAL DISMISSED: The Sindh High Court dismissed an appeal by a man in a murder case, upholding the life sentence awarded to him by the trial court.
Nizamul Islam alias Bilal was found guilty of killing Jamil Ahmed, a relative of his ex-wife Ms Nasim Akhtar on Oct 30, 1998, in the limits of Sharea Faisal police.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge East sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered to him pay Rs100,000 to victim’s family as compensation on Oct 22, 2003.
His appeal against conviction was heard by SHC’s single bench, comprising Justice Mushir Alam.—PPI
