HYDERABAD, Jan 16: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Wednesday directed the SHO of Kotri police station to appear in person and produce cable appliances of a cable operator of Kotri on Thursday before the court.

The court adjourned the case to Thursday with verbal directives to the state counsel to ask the SHO to comply with the court order.

The order was passed on a constitutional petition, filed by Javed Aslam Memon, who cited ASP Kotri, Abdul Rasheed, reader to ASP Kotri, Hakim Ali Khoso, and three private respondents. The petitioner claimed that he was running a cable TV system at Kotri on behalf of a Karachi based cable service provider which was authorized under a license, issued by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

On Nov 24 the petitioner said that the respondent ASI of Kotri police station under verbal instructions of ASP Kotri along with his sub-ordinate staff arrived and took away amplifiers as well as the cable wires worth Rs50,000 which were used for distribution of services to customers.

He said that the respondents had harassed him and had created hindrance in the functioning of his business, under the influence of private respondents and reader to ASP Kotri. He was bearing Rs1000 loss per day due to closure of his business, he added.

He argued that the PTA had codified the law for the purpose of smooth operation of cable network and exhibitions of films, features, dramas, entertainment and other programmes. The license issued to petitioner was for establishing, maintaining and operating cable TV in Pakistan and it was lawful business guaranteed under the constitution.

He alleged that the respondents had threatened him that if he did not stop running the cable system he would be challaned in various cases. He said that on the one hand he was prevented from running the business while on the other the police had given free hand to private respondents to run their business, causing monetary loss to petitioner‘s business.

He appealed to the court to stop the respondents from harassing him, interfere in his business affairs and to return the cable appliance of his cable system.