KARACHI, April 21: The Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing of a petition against the alleged besieging of Balochistan National Party president and former chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s house in Defence Housing Society at the request of a federal attorney on Friday.

Petitioner Mehrullah Mengal, uncle of the ex-CM, submitted through Advocates Akhtar Hussain and Syed Ghulam Shah that the daytime siege was lifted by police as directed by the court but nocturnal surveillance and curbs on free movement continued as before. A Sindh government law officer said neither the police nor any other provincial agency had anything to do with the night-time siege.

A division bench, comprising CJ Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui, asked the federal government standing counsel, Mahmood Alam Rizvi, to find out whether any federal agency was involved in the alleged surveillance. As the petition came up for hearing on Friday, Mr Rizvi sought more time to obtain the requisite information and the bench adjourned the hearing to April 27.

Meanwhile, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, SHC administrative judge for Karachi division’s anti-terrorism courts, extended the date for submission of charge-sheet in terrorism case against Akhtar Mengal’s gunmen, driver and cook. The IO requested that more time was required for completing the challan. The request was opposed by Advocates Ghulam Shah and Abdul Wahab Baloch, who said the IO had already been given sufficient time. Assistant Advocate-General Habib Ahmed said the circumstances of the case warranted more time for investigations and drawing up of a charge-sheet. The judge extended the date till April 28 but warned there would be no further extension. The ex-CM has been declared an absconder in the case.

Police alleged that Akhtar Mengal, along with others, kidnapped army Havildar Qurban Hussain and Lance Naik Fayaz from Darakshan with an intention to kill them on April 5 when army personnel were going to their intelligence duty, adds PPI.

Complainant of the case Qurban Hussain submitted in the FIR that they were made hostage at the residence of Akhtar Mengal in Khayban-i-Shamsher for two hours and were tortured.

He said Mr Mengal directed his men to kill them. However, he said, they managed to flee after siege of the house by the police and law-enforcement agencies. The FIR was lodged against accused under Section 364, 353, 342, 186, 395, 397, 337 of PPC with Section 6(m)(n) and 7 of Anti- Terrorism Act.

AG office: The inordinate delay in the appointment of law officers to represent the federal government in courts of Sindh attracted strong observations from a division bench of High Court of Sindh, comprising CJ Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui.

When a contempt of court application in a constitutional petition challenging confiscation of a luxury vehicle by Pakistan Coast Guards came up for hearing, the bench noted that the order for placing record of the case was passed on Oct 13, 2005, but the same was not complied with till date.

Upon query, the only standing counsel at Karachi Mehmood Alam Rizvi informed the bench that the record and affidavit of the concerned officer, Maj Jamshed Riaz Khan Bhatti, cannot be filed as no order was available in the record, nor any letter was found in the office of the concerned standing counsel.

The bench observed that this falls within the ambit of contempt of court. How long ad hocism will prevail in even such an important institution, the chief justice observed.

The federal representative told the court that he is already appearing before the court till 3pm and when he reaches his office, staff normally leaves by that time.

The bench took serious exception to this state of affairs and directed that working and system of office of the Attorney General at Karachi be improved. The CJ also directed that the copy of the order shall also be sent to the Attorney General Pakistan.

Hakeemuddin moved the court maintaining that he purchased the vehicle from an open auction and paid all taxes besides levies. He challenged confiscation of the vehicle and prayed to the court to order the PCG to return the vehicle.—APP