HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Abdul Ghafoor Memon on Wednesday expressed his inability to proceed with the cases registered against former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza on the ground that the latter’s father, Justice Zafar Hussain Mirza, had been his senior in the profession when he was an advocate.

It is learnt that he has sent a reference to the Sindh High Court registrar.

Judge Memon, however, remanded in police custody four supporters of Dr Mirza nominated as suspects in two FIRs registered in Badin.

One of the FIRs (No.158/15) was lodged by Taj Mohammad Mallah and the other (159/15) by SHO Wali Mohammad.

Dr Mirza and dozens of his associates and supporters were booked for storming the Badin police station and forcing local traders to close their businesses.

Dr Mirza has not yet obtained his pre-arrest bail although his protective bail has been extended by the Sindh High Court till May 9.

He has to obtain his pre-arrest bail from the ATC first in all those cases in which sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 were incorporated.

— An earlier version of the story had incorrectly reported Justice Retd Zafar Hussain Mirza as deceased. Justice (r) Hussain passed away on August 27, 2015.The error is regretted

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2015

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