KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday petitioned the Sindh High Court against alleged deployment of 6,000 personnel of the Sindh police in Islamabad to stop the long march announced by former prime minister Imran Khan.

Citing the interior ministry, provincial home secretary and others as respondents, the petitioner contended that the Centre had called police from the Sindh government after the PTI leadership announced that its long march on Oct 28.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan had been postponing the second phase of the local government elections in Sindh since July due to heavy rains, flooding and due to lack of adequate security since police were busying in performing duty in flood-hit areas.

Moreover, the petitioner submitted that street crimes were also on the rise for the past few months in the provincial metropolis and police officers were very much required to remain within the remit of their respective police stations in order to prevent the increasing crimes.

He claimed that the federal and provincial authorities had passed the order of deputing 6,000 policemen in the federal capital just to stop the long march without applying their administrative mind.

Mr Sheikh in the petition further contended that cases of robbery, murder, kidnapping of children in the province were getting out of control even in the presence of full strength of police force and a freehand would be given to criminals in Sindh, if the provincial police were sent to Islamabad.

He argued that without keeping such effects and causes in consideration, the respondents had directed the police personnel to report at Islamabad and such act of the federal and provincial authorities concerned was illegal, unlawful and without any justification.

He further asserted that such deployment at the federal capital to restrain political workers from holding long march was also the violation of fundamental rights of inhabitants of Sindh.

The petitioner maintained that such decision of respondents were liable to be set aside with immediate effect to prevent any mishap or breakdown of law and order situation in Sindh.

He also sought directives for respondents to call back 6,000 deputed police personals of Sindh police from Islamabad or Punjab with immediate effect and to ensure all possible measures to curb street crimes in Karachi by deputing full available police force.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2022