KARACHI: SHC notices to top govt officials over May 12 events
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 26: A seven-member bench of the Sindh High Court will begin on Monday hearing of a petition involving blockade of court premises, mistreatment of a judge and beating up of some lawyers on May 12 in suo motu exercise of the court’s powers.
Notices were issued on Saturday to the attorney-general of Pakistan, the advocate-general of Sindh, the chief secretary, the director-general of Rangers, the home secretary, the provincial police officer, the capital city police officer and the town police officer of Saddar.
A report on the situation around the high court and city court premises, including the difficulties encountered by judges and officials and interception and pounding of a judge’s car in Nazimabad, was submitted by officiating registrar Abdul Malik Gaddi on May 21. A full court meeting on May 22 resolved to suggest that Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed convert the report into a petition for hearing by a full bench.
The CJ constituted a seven-member bench comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Mushir Alam, Azizullah M. Memon, Khilji Arif Hussain, Maqbool Baqar and Ali Sain Dino Metlo, which issued notices for preliminary hearing on May 28.
The registrar said in his report that he was informed by his secretary early on May 12 morning that the entire court building had been blocked by vehicles and surrounded by mobs who were not allowing anybody, including lawyers and members of court staff, to enter it and the police was providing no help in the matter. He left his residence in the vicinity of the court and found the information correct. The police force posted at the entry points took no action against the miscreants or to remove the vehicles blocking access to the court premises. He left his car at his residence and walked his way to the SHC building along with a deputy registrar.
The district and sessions judges of South and West districts rang him up to say that the city court premises were also besieged. Miscreants had also beaten up some lawyers, including Ismet Mehdi. In the meantime, the chief justice and his colleagues in the SHC administration committee arrived and took stock of the situation. They asked the registrar to call the home secretary and the provincial police officer (IGP) to explain the position. The PPO was not available but the CCPO and TPO of Saddar appeared and expressed their helplessness. They said they also had to come on foot because of the vehicle barriers. The home secretary appeared subsequently and undertook to do his best to improve the situation but there was no change.
The registrar said he was to receive Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry at the airport but could not proceed when his driver informed him that tankers, containers and buses also blocked Shahrah-i-Faisal at various points. He went to the airport in a helicopter together with the home secretary. The CJ could not leave the airport because of the blockade and he (the registrar) stayed on till he returned to Islamabad. He returned in his car late in the evening and found that all barriers had been removed.
The registrar annexed reports by protocol officers of five judges, who faced difficulties in reaching the court premises or had to return because of the blockade. According to Justice Mohammad Athar Saeed’s protocol officer, his car was intercepted by two miscreants at the Nazimabad Chowrangi in front of the Sir Syed College. Another youth blocked the passage at Chowrangi No 2. The car was hit by another vehicle, damaging the rear bumper. Miscreants surrounded the car and hit it with blows. Some passersby intervened and the judge proceeded to the Pak Colony police station after about 45 minutes. He was escorted by the SSP (Investigation) from the police station but the access to the court building was closed. He left his car at the DIG office and walked his way to the court along with his gunman and driver. The passage was narrow and thronged by hostile crowds.
Justices Azizullah M. Memon and Mrs Yasmin Abbasy returned to their residences when they found the access blocked. Justice Maqbool Baqar had to divert his car many times to reach the court via the secretariat building. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah left his car at the Artillery Maidan police station and went to the court on foot.
