HYDERABAD: The Kunri police on Monday submitted the interim challan (charge-sheet) in the court of a civil judge and judicial magistrate clearing all suspects, including Sindh Minister Nawab Taimur Talpur and Umerkot SSP Aijaz Sheikh in a case pertaining to an armed attack on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh near Kunri town of Umerkot district on Oct 31, 2019.

The case was lodged vide FIR No. 1/2020 under Sections 506(ii), 337H (ii), 342, 427, 147, 148, 149, 114 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) by Sheikh’s private secretary Lal Mohammad alias Amir.

Nawab Taimur Talpur and SSP Aijaz Sheikh were nominated as co-accused whereas the main accused were named as Shakil Bajwa, Mansoor Bajwa, Rizwan Jatt, Khalid Jatt, Jehanzeb Arain, Khalid Jatt, Zafar Yousafzai and Imran Jatt. Barring Taimur Talpur and SSP Sheikh, the rest were on bail.

The investigating officer, Hoat Chand, concluded that the “case is not proved against accused”.

Lal Mohammad had alleged in the FIR that Haleem Adil Sheikh along with Javed Awan, Jan Sher Junejo, Azad Chandio, Noor Nabi Shah and other party workers attended the funeral of Tezgam train tragedy victims and also offered condolences to Haji Nisar Arain on Oct 31, 2019. He stated that when they left Arain’s home, they saw Nawab Taimur Talpur and SSP Aijaz Sheikh present at Allahwala Chowk in Kunri.

Interim challan says “case is not proved against accused”

The complainant said that other people present there attacked their [Sheikh-led] caravan. The vehicle (bearing registration No. BF-1374) carrying Mr Sheikh moved ahead and in the meantime a vehicle carrying Nawab Taimur Talpur blocked the way. He further stated that Shakeel Bajwa, Mansoor Bajwa, Rizwan Jatt, Khalid Jatt, Jehanzeb Arain, Khalid Jatt, Zafar Yousafzai and Imran Jatt attacked the vehicle carrying Jan Sher Junejo and smashed its windowpane.

The complainant stated that guards of Nawab Talpur and SSP Sheikh resorted to firing into the air but Haleem Adil Sheikh and his party workers somehow managed to leave the area.

Lal Mohammad had got his FIR lodged through a court order but prior to its registration, a separate FIR (No.134/19) was lodged under Sections 364, 365, 341, 337H (ii), 337A(i), 506(ii) and 34 PPC against Haleem Adil Sheikh by Khalid Jatt for kidnapping a man, Rizwan Jatt. Both Khalid Jatt and Rizwan Jatt were later nominated as accused in Lal Mohammad’s FIR.

Haleem Sheikh’s counsel Bhagwandas told Dawn on Monday that two “fake” witnesses, Noor Nabi Shah and Javed Awan, were produced before the judicial magistrate for recording a statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) as witnesses in Lal Mohammad’s FIR. Bhagwandas said he objected to it on the grounds that they were not real eyewitnesses. “My witnesses are Jan Sher Junejo and Arbab Chandio whose statements under Section 164 CrPC are to be recorded by Kunri judicial magistrate,” he said.

He said that judicial magistrate declined Kunri police’s request to record statements of Noor Nabi Shah and Javed Awan on his objection.

Lal Mohammad had submitted an application before Hyderabad’s additional inspector general (AIG) to seek transfer of investigation into his FIR (1/2020) to some other police officer of some other district.

The AIG has ordered formation of a board, which would recommend transfer of the FIR. The board is headed by Hyderabad SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio. The other members of the board are Mirpurkhas SSP Javed Baloch and Tharparkar SP Abdullah Ahmad. The transfer of investigation of the FIR has not yet been recommended by the board as SSP Adeel Chandio is on leave till Thursday.

Haleem Sheikh had approached federal government for action against the Umerkot SSP.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail had written to PM’s principal secretary Mohammad Azam Khan against high-handedness of the SSP. Later, the establishment division on Dec 9, 2019 had ordered transfer of the SSP but Sindh government’s services and general administration department on Dec 10, 2019 requested the establishment division to “allow SSP to continue his services in Sindh in view of shortage of officers”.

According to Sheikh, the Dec 9, 2019 communication is still in field as the “establishment division has not acceded to Sindh government’s request”. He said that he had learnt that the SSP had not reported to the establishment division, which has issued a show-cause notice to the SSP for not reporting to it in line with the earlier directive.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2020