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KARACHI, April 12: A Sindh High Court division bench issued on Wednesday notices to the advocate-general, a deputy attorney-general and the respondent police officers in a petition against confinement of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Balochistan National Party leader and former chief minister, his brother, and inmates of their houses in Clifton.
Petitioner Mehrullah Mengal, paternal uncle of the ex-CM, alleged that the police besieged the houses of Akhtar and Jawed Mengal in the Defence Housing Society since April 6. Some policemen entered the premises to seize their valid arms licences. Nobody was being allowed to leave the premises. MNA Rauf Mengal and MPAs Akbar Mengal and Akhtar Langho, who came to see them, were also confined along with the domestic servants and other inmates of their houses. Their father Ataullah Mengal’s residence was also surrounded by police for some time.
The petitioner submitted through Advocates Akhtar Hussain and Syed Ghulam Shah that the siege amounted to illegal detention and violated several fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
He said Sardar Akhtar Mengal and his guards and driver had been involved in terrorism cases. He sought action against the officials responsible for unlawful siege and compensation for harassment and mental agony being suffered by their victims.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Mrs Qaiser Iqbal, ordered that notices be issued to the respondent police officers and federal and provincial attorneys for April 14.
Meanwhile, an alleged detainee appeared personally on Wednesday and the bench disposed his wife’s petition for his recovery and detention. Engineer Rahimoon was arrested in a number of cases but was ordered to be released on bail.
His wife, Dr Bilquis, stated in her petition that the jail authorities continued to detain him despite bail orders. In response to a query, the engineer said he had no complaint against police or prison officials.
REINSTATED: The Sindh Service Tribunal, meanwhile, reinstated three lecturers of the Larkana Cadet College with retrospective effect. An SST bench, comprising Justice (retired) Abdul Ghani Shaikh and Moula Bux Khatian, stated that the termination orders were not passed by the competent authority, that is, the college board of governors and had, therefore, no legal effect.
Ordering the reinstatement of appellants Abdul Ghafoor Buriro, Asif Ali Bhatti and Nujibur Rehman Burdi with effect from July 2003, the SST, however, allowed the college authorities to initiate disciplinary proceedings against them afresh in accordance with the law. Advocate Mohammad Nawaz Shaikh appeared for the appellants.
APPEALS ADMITTED: The Sindh High Court admitted on Wednesday appeals moved by five activists of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan against their conviction in a prison van attack case and issued a notice to state.
Sabir Ali Waseem, Mazharul Hassan, Muzamil, Malik Tasadduq and Mohammad Faisal were sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court of Karachi for killing two people, including a policeman, in an attack on a prison van in 2002.
