KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the chief minister, home secretary and provincial police chief to submit their respective replies in a petition against the alleged extra-judicial killing of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement worker in police custody.

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Sajjad Ali Shah and Sadiq Hussain Bhatti also issued a notice to the provincial law officer and put off the hearing to Feb 9.

The petition was filed by Syed Mateen Hussain, maternal uncle of MQM worker Syed Faraz Alam, who died in the custody of the Khokhrapar police on Jan 10.

The petitioner, represented by Advocate Ali Hasnain Bukhari, submitted that plain-clothes policemen picked him up on Dec 28 in Malir and he was fatally tortured in custody.

The counsel told the judges that the police obtained the physical remand of the victim on Jan 1 from the court of a judicial magistrate.

He said that a judicial magistrate gave the custody of Faraz Alam for 14 days for interrogation and investigation despite the fact that the victim had told him about police torture in custody. He alleged that the victim’s condition became precarious due to brutal torture in police custody and later the police took him to a local hospital for treatment. He said the victim was not hospitalised despite the insistence of doctors.

Advocate Bukhari said the victim’s condition further deteriorated due to continued torture and the police brought him to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where he succumbed to injuries.

Later, the counsel said, the MQM gave call for a strike against the “extra-judicial killing” of its worker and demanded that the government constitute a judicial commission to probe the custodial death.

He said Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon had also announced forming a judicial commission but that was not constituted.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the provincial government to form a judicial commission and take action against the police officials responsible for the “extra-judicial” killing of his nephew.

He also requested the court to order protection and security of the victim’s family who were being harassed by the law enforcers.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2015

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