BADIN: Visibly restrai­n­ed by his spouse MNA Dr Fahmida Mirza, former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza had to avoid speaking to local journalists when he, along with his 30 aides and supporters, appear­ed before the Badin district and sessions judge on Friday to seek extension in his interim bail.

The judge extended the bail till June 2 in a case registered against him at the Kario Ghanwar police station of Shaheed Fazal Rahu taluka.

Earlier, the couple was escorted by Rangers personnel to the court under tight security arrangements made around the court and along the route of the convoy by law-enforcement agencies.

It was observed that Dr Mirza once tried to speak to the journalists assembled outside the court but his spouse visibly restrained him from doing so.

The couple left the court in a convoy of vehicles that proceeded to the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ismail Rahu in Rahuki town to offer their condolence on the demise of his uncle, Porho Rahu. The case in which Dr Mirza’s bail was extended on Friday was lodged by the Kario Ghan­war SHO, Abdul Ghaffar Khushk, under the Arms Act. Badin District and Sessions Judge Ghulam Rasool Samoon gran­t­ed the extension on a surety bond of Rs100,000.

According to Dr Mirza’s counsel Mohammed Asha­raf, his client had been granted bail in all eight FIRs registered against him at various police stations of the district.

In reply to a question, he said Dr Mirza had not filed any application for permission to go abroad.

A total of 25 cases have so far been registered at Badin (city), Tando Bago, Talhar, Kario Ghanwar, Pangrio, Golarchi and Kadhan police stations of the district against Dr Mirza and his aides, associates and supporters under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act. Dr Mirza has been nominated in eight of the FIRs.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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