KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday asked the home secretary, director general of Rangers and jail superintendent to file their respective comments on a petition against the authorities for not allowing the family of a Karachi Development Authority director to meet him in the penitentiary.

Najam-uz-Zaman, the chief of the KDA land department, was picked up by the paramilitary force from his residence in North Nazimabad last week during their ongoing crackdown against criminals and land grabbers.

On April 6, the Rangers produced him before an antiterrorism court and informed it about his 90-day preventive detention to interrogate him for his alleged involvement in illegal sale and purchase of government plots, popularly known as “China cutting”. He was also suspected to have been patronising land grabbers in the city. Suspect Zaman’s wife, Saima Najam, petitioned the SHC against the Rangers and the provincial authorities for not allowing her and other family members to meet the detained man, lodged at the Karachi central prison.

According to the petitioner, the paramilitary troops entered her house on April 14 and took away her husband. She said her husband was not involved in any political activity or any criminal case, yet he was arrested by the Rangers.

A division bench, headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, issued notices to the respondents seeking their replies on the matter by the next date of hearing, which would be announced later by court’s office.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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