KARACHI, Nov 19: A division bench of the High Court of Sindh, comprising Justices Zahid Kurban Alavi and Zia Pervez, on Wednesday asked the additional advocate general, Sindh, to look into the possibility of shifting the under-trial prisoners temporarily to Karachi.

The bench was hearing a constitutional petition filed by Advocate Shamsher Khan, convener of the Legal Aid Committee of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, seeking transfer of party workers from prisons in the interior of Sindh to Karachi.

When the petition came up for hearing, the court said: “It was settled law that the UTPs would be lodged at a place where their trial is facilitated.”

Sohail Hameed, advocate, counsel for the petitioner, prayed to the court to order shifting of the party’s men to Karachi at least on the occasion of Eid so that their families had a chance to meet them.

The bench declining the request said that in such a case, the counsel for the petitioner should have approached the court earlier and should have served notice on the AAG.

AAG Abbas Ali opposed any such order and said the AG office was not served any notice and he came to know of the petition today (Wednesday) when the prison officials approached him.

The bench, adjourning the matter till Dec 4, directed the AAG to inquire and ascertain the allegations made in the petition and also to see that whether arrangements could be made for the shifting of the UTPs to Karachi temporarily so that they could meet their kin on Eid.

HARASSMENT CASE: CID officials filed written comments before the Sindh High Court on a petition filed against them by Abdul Sattar on Wednesday, stating that the petitioner’s son was a close associate of Asif Ramzi, an activist of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, and wanted in criminal cases.