HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, has granted interim bail to Ismail Dahiri, a close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, in a case registered against him under the Explosive Substance Act and Sindh Arms Act.

The bench comprising Justice Abdul Maalik Gaddi and Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha granted the bail in a sum of Rs200,000.

Dahiri, a former special assistant to the chief minister, was represented by Advocate Nisar Durrani.

Dahiri was booked under Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substance Act and Section 23 of the Sindh Arms Act.

The case was registered at the Daulatpur police station vide crime No. 39/18 after a joint team of police and Rangers personnel raided his guest house on June 28 and claimed to have recovered five Kalashnikovs with 260 rounds, four shells of anti-aircraft gun and one 9mm pistol with 10 live bullets.

Additional prosecutor general Saleem Nahiyoon opposed the bail.

During the hearing of Dahiri’s bail application on Tuesday, Advocate Durrani argued that permission from the Sindh government was required to be obtained to proceed with cases registered under Section 7 of the Explosive Substance Act.

He informed the bench that such permission was not there and his client could not be kept in prison indefinitely. He said that all the seized Kalashnikovs were licensed, one of them in his client’s own name and four others in his bodyguards’ names.

The counsel said his client was arrested with intention to force him to change his political loyalty while a caretaker regime was in place.

He alleged that the numbers of the licences were rubbed in order to foist recovery of ‘unlicensed’ weapons from him. He said that the case against him was politically motivated.

Dahiri had served as the special assistant to former chief minister Syed Qaim Sindh. He is considered very influential person and is known for dictating his terms in provincial government’s affairs.

In 2015, Ismail Dahiri was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and upon expiry of the detention period, he was detained for another 90 days. He was released right after completion of the second term.

His arrest on June 28 was described by Asif Zardari as a ‘message’ for him [Zardari]. “Someone has shown [his] love by arresting him in my hometown,” Mr Zardari had remarked.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018