SUKKUR, Dec 9: A double bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Justice Zahid Qurban Alvi and Justice Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday ordered the district police officer, Khairpur, to answer in writing allegations levelled against him by the district Nazim, Khairpur, Syeda Nafisa Shah, on Dec 16.

The court issued the order on a petition filed by 33 Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors against 17 respondents, including the federation of Pakistan, province of Sindh, district government of Khairpur and 13 others in a harassment case.

Earlier, Ms Shah submitted her written statement in which she produced documented proof of 21 incidents regarding pressuring Awan Dost Panel members to change loyalties, threats of fake cases and political victimization.

The court ordered the DPO to submit details of the cases lodged against the supporting members of the district Nazim and also ordered the irrigation engineer, Khairpur, to submit his report regarding water theft cases against the supporters of Ms Shah and the Khairpur Panel members.

Imdad Awan advocate, counsel for the Awam Dost Panel, took the plea that since some of the members involved in the water theft cases did not own any agricultural land, therefore, no further case should be registered till further orders of the court.

On the plea, the court bound the DPO to make sure that no further case was registered till the decision of the petition.

Date of the next hearing has been fixed as Dec 16.