KARACHI, May 19: The City Courts police, in compliance with an order of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, South, Mohammad Azeem, registered an FIR against the Sindh government and leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, General-Secretary of the Karachi Bar Association Naeem Qureshi filed a petition in the District and Sessions Court complaining that the FIR of the May 12 incidents was not being registered by the police. The judge summoned the SHO City Courts police to appear before the court at 2pm but the police officer did not turn up. Later, the court order was served on the police station where the petitioner lodged the FIR.
The FIR (No.53/07) was registered under sections 147, 148, 149, 324, 427, 365/511 and 506-B of the PPC.
Mohammad Hanif Kashmiri, a counsel for the KBA general-secretary, told reporters that the petition was filed when the police had refused to register the FIR against the Sindh government and MQM leaders on May 16.
It was mentioned in the petition that on May 12, KBA members were on their way to the Sindh High Court to attend the Supreme Court’s golden jubilee celebrations which were to be attended by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. The petition submitted that as the lawyers came out of the City Courts in a big procession some unidentified persons opened indiscriminate fire from all sides forcing the lawyers to disperse into two groups and rush to safety.
In the meanwhile, it said, MQM workers appeared in vehicles with party flags and started shooting at the lawyers and pelted them with stones, causing injuries to lawyers, including women, who were not allowed to take shelter in the nearby buildings.
The petitioner said the lawyers were threatened with immolation and the furniture placed in the women lawyers’ common room was already set ablaze. Member of Sindh Bar Council Noor Naz Agha was held hostage at gunpoint in a building located at Denso Hall whereas an SBC member, Mohammad Ali Abbasi, and some lawyers were held hostage in the building of the Karachi Bar.
It was further stated that the lawyers repeatedly contacted the Sindh governor and police high-ups till 5pm but no action was taken against the terrorists. Pakistan Bar Council member Mohammad Yasin Azad and KBA member Fahim Zia said that they had already informed police about the attack but police refused to take action.
