KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the Federal Investigation Agency to allow the family members of Khalid Shamim, a recently arrested key suspect in the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Imran Farooq, to meet the detainee whenever they make a request for meeting through proper channel.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar gave the direction on an application of Beena Khalid, the suspect’s wife, during the hearing of her petition against possible extradition of her husband.

On Monday, the FIA on the court’s order filed its comments on the petition submitting that Khalid Shamim was reportedly involved in the conspiracy, abetment and targeted killing of Dr Imran Farooq in London.

The FIA reply said that the federal government in exercise of its power under Section 6 of the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance issued an order on June 26 for preventive detention of the suspect by the FIA for 90 days.

According to the Frontier Corps (FC), Shamim, who had been missing since 2011, was arrested along with another suspect, Mohsin Ali, last month near the Pakistan-Afghan border in Chaman.

The woman stated that her husband had been missing since 2011 and now the authorities had shown his arrest in Chaman.

The petitioner said that there was no extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and Pakistan and asked the court to restrain the federal authorities from transferring her husband to Britain for interrogation.

She prayed to the court to restrain the relevant authorities from shifting her husband outside the country.

The court was also prayed to order the federal authorities to allow the relatives of the suspect to meet him.

The hearing was adjourned to Aug 1.

ACE restrained from arresting ex-livestock secy

The same bench restrained the provincial authorities, including the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), from taking any coercive action against former secretary of livestock and fisheries Zafar Iqbal Shaikh in an FIR lodged by the ACE.

The bench was seized with the petition of the former secretary who apprehended his arrest in the FIR lodged by the ACE. The court also issued a notice to the respondent provincial authorities to file their respective comments and put off the hearing to July 13.

His counsel, Barrister Zamir Ghumro and Advocate Naeem Iqbal, submitted that the petitioner deposited an amount of Rs13 million with the Nazir of the SHC on a court order and later the amount was deposited back in the government treasury after the dismissal of his earlier petition by the SHC.

However, they said, the provincial authorities still lodged the FIR against Mr Shaikh, although he had complied with the court’s order by depositing back Rs13m.

CAA chief, others issued contempt notices

Another two-judge bench issued notices to the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority and others in a contempt of court application against them for flouting the court orders regarding the operation of Air Indus, a private airline.

The bench had earlier suspended the order of the Civil Aviation Authority that had suspended the operations of the airline.

Counsel for the Air Indus, Advocate retired Brigadier Dr Shafaat Nabi Khan Sherwani, filed the contempt application asking the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the alleged contemnors as the airline was not still allowed to start its flight operation despite the court’s clear-cut orders.

The bench directed the alleged contemnors to file their respective replies by July 15.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015

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