KARACHI, Oct 10: Justice Zafar Ahmad Khan Sherwani of the Sindh High Court refused on Friday to grant bail before arrest to Dr Najaf Mirza, former superintendent of the Central Prison, Karachi, who is alleged to have unlawfully allowed the transfer of (President) Asif Ali Zardari from the jail to the CIA Centre, Saddar, for torture and attempt to murder.

The incident occurred in May 1999 when the then inspector-general of Sindh Police, Rana Maqbool Ahmed Khan, PML (N) senator and ehtesab chief Saifur Rehman Khan, his younger brother Mujibur Rehman Khan, and police superintendent Farooq Amin Qureshi took out Mr Zadari, then a PPP senator, from the jail in connivance with Dr Mirza. They inflicted wounds on Mr Zardari, who bled profusely. It was only after a judicial inquiry ordered by the SHC that the police registered an attempt-to-murder case lodged by Sen Zardari.

All the accused have been declared proclaimed offenders by the trial court under Sections 87 and 88 of the code of criminal procedure because of their failure to join the investigations and face the trial. All but Dr Mirza are said to be living abroad.

Dr Mirza’s pre-arrest bail plea was transferred by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali to Justice Sherwani on Friday. The judge asked him to surrender before the trial court of the VII additional district and sessions judge (District South).