HYDERABAD, Oct 15: Justice Shabbir Ahmed of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Monday dismissed a criminal transfer application of one Imam Bux, seeking transfer of his armed robbery case on the ground that Zila Nazim of Nawabshah District Faryal Talpur, the sister of former senator Asif Ali Zardari, and others were using their influence against him and he did not expect justice from the trial court.

He moved the court through lawyer Ibrahim Soomro. He cited Ali Nawaz, Zahid Hussain, and others as respondents, who were represented by Advocate Abdul Sattar Qazi. Mr Qazi contended before the court that the applicant was wasting the time of the court by making such applications because earlier the same case had been transferred from the court of the First Class Magistrate and Civil Judge to Judicial Magistrate-II Nawabshah, and added that now the applicant wanted the case to be transferred to any other court of the district.

He argued that Imam Bux was the complainant in the case, which was pending trial since 1996. He said that even the witnesses had not been examined in the matter so far. The court dismissed the application and asked the applicant’s counsel to pursue the case at the trial court with the option to move the appellate authority.

The case in question was lodged on the directives of the Sindh High Court principal seat on Nov 22, 1996. Imam Bux Lashari had got his case lodged at the Daur police station in 1996 after some men belonging to his caste had allegedly committed a robbery in his house, looting his tractor trolley, an air-conditioner, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a coloured TV, a dish antenna, almirahs, 12 beds, 24 chairs, jewellery, Rs50,000 in cash, and other valuables amounting to lacs of rupees. He charged that the accused had attacked his bungalow and resorted to firing.

In his FIR, he claimed that the nominated accused had threatened him that they had orders from Asif Ali Zardari not to leave the complainant and his son alive. He also accused then MPA Shaukat Hussain Shah of conniving with the accused. He has now filed a criminal transfer application before the court through Advocate Ibrahim Soomro, requesting the court to order the transfer of his case from the court of the Judicial Magistrate-II to any other district other than Nawabshah.

The applicant claimed that his grievances were against local landlords and administration who were under the influence of his opponents. He added that he would not get justice from the court of the Judicial Magistrate-II as the environment in Nawabshah District had become hostile for him on account of the conduct of his opponents.