0
HYDERABAD, March 23: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has filed in the Supreme Court at Karachi a petition for Leave to Appeal to challenge a judgment dated Jan 9 of a division bench of the Sindh High Court at Hyderabad whereby all the 94 petitions were dismissed.
The majority of the petitions were filed by bonded labourers/haris against their illegal detention and some of the petitions were also filed in the same High Court by the landlords.
All 94 cases were fixed for hearing on October 18, 2000 before a division bench of the High Court of Sindh at Hyderabad comprising Justice Zahid Qurban Alvi and Justice Mushir Alam.
After hearing about seven counsels and two amicus-curaie (friends of the court), the division bench reserved its order.
After lapse of over 14 months on Jan 9, the division bench announced its judgment whereby all the 94 cases including the petitions pertaining to detention of bonded labourers were dismissed.
After examining the judgement of the Sindh High Court, the HRCP decided to challenge the judgement by filing a petition for Leave to Appeal.
The HRCP has accordingly filed a petition for Leave to Appeal in the Supreme Court at Karachi through its secretary general Ms Hina Jilani on March 9.
Along with the petition, the HRCP has also filed an application to seek suspension of the operation of the aforesaid judgement of the Sindh High Court.
According to the HRCP, a bench of the Supreme Court is expected to hear cases in Karachi from March 26. The aforesaid petition is likely to be heard by the bench of the Supreme Court on March 27 along with other petitions for Leave to Appeal filed by some of the bonded labourers or their relatives against their illegal detention.
Iqbal Haider, senior advocate, Supreme Court, and Advocate Asma Jahangir, Supreme Court, along with Advocate K.A. Wahab will appear before the Supreme Court on behalf of the petitioners.
SEA: About three dozen teachers and Sindh government employees under the banner of the Sindh Educational Alliance (SEA) continued their hunger strike outside the Hyderabad Press Club for the 6th consecutive day on Saturday.
The hunger strike by the SEA was also observed in Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, and Larkana.
A spokesman of the SEA, Prof Tariq Qureshi told Dawn that in deference to the sacred month of Muharram, no strike would be observed on March 24, 25 and 26.
He, however, said that the SEA would resume hunger strikes at all the five divisional headquarters Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, and Larkana from March 27.
He said that the Central Action Committee of the SEA would meet on March 27 at the Government Sachal Sar-mast College Hyderabad to chalk out the future course of action.
He further said that on the call of the Pakistan Teachers United Front pro-test demonstrations would be held at all the district headquarters of Punjab, NWFP, Balochistan, Sindh, Azad Kashmir, and FATA.
PMA: The president, PMA, Sindh chapter, Dr Noor M. Memon, in a statement issued on Saturday said that many problems of doctors which required a national approach including killings and kidnappings had only received regional or local support due to the loose network of the PMA.
He elucidated that this should be a matter of concern for all the well-wishers of the PMA who should put their heads together and save the organization from regionalism, individualism, and self-projection with a view to restoring its status as the only representative platform for doctors of the country.
Dr Memon regretted that the mishandling of a protest call given by the PMA centre to demonstrate unity among the doctors of the country on the issue of target killings of doctors had not only damaged the cause of the slain doctors but also shattered the image of the PMA.
He said that the PMA network at the centre seems to be divided among over-ambitious persons while the provincial and lower tiers were either confused or unconcerned.
He pointed out that big city branches tried to dominate the provincial branches and at times even the PMA centre ignored the constitutional obligations.
Dr Memon further said that individuals try to score numbers through self-projection imposing decisions for their personal gains.
He stressed the need for saving the status and prestige of the PMA which was the only platform to safeguard the interests of the doctors of the entire country.
