KARACHI, April 14: A city businessman’s petition for registration of a case against some members of the US consulate staff could not be taken up by the Sindh High Court on Thursday for paucity of time. Petitioner Mirza Aslam Baig alleged that he was maltreated by some US consulate officials (to be named by the consul-general) near Awami Markaz, Sharea Faisal, on March 22. They forcibly took him to the consulate-general building, confined him there for hours and interrogated him. He was later handed over to the Artillery Maidan police station, which released him after three hours following an assurance that he would not lodge a case, the petitioner said.

Citing the federal interior ministry, the provincial home department, the inspector-general of police and other police officials as respondents, he requested the court to order the police station to register a case.

He said the incident caused him and his mother mental torture besides financial loss.

The petition was listed for hearing by a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Maqbool Baqar, but was left over due to shortage of time. It will now come up on a date to be fixed by office.