KARACHI, Oct 3: Justice Mohammed Roshan Essani of the High Court of Sindh reserved on Thursday order on a bail application filed by Danis Charles, involved in trafficking in minor children.

The accused/applicant was arrested during a raid conducted jointly by the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police and the Nazim of Gulshan Town. More than a dozen infants and minor children were recovered from the possession of the applicant and the co-accused, including his wife Costa Charles.

According to the prosecution, the accused used to smuggle out children to Malta.

Nafees Siddiqui, advocate, represented the accused/applicant.

Another bench of the SHC, consisting of Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Musheer Alam, dismissed a constitutional petition filed by Tariq Ali Hashmi, a candidate from National Assembly constituency 251.

Syed Iqtidar Ali Hashmi, advocate, representing the petitioner, submitted that the petitioner was given an election ticket by the Grand National Alliance. The petitioner, after scrutiny of papers and other formalities, was allotted tractor as election symbol. Suddenly on 26-9-2002, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi wrote a letter to the returning officer of the constituency informing him about withdrawal of the party ticket to the petitioner who was then allotted car as new symbol as an independent candidate.

The petitioner impugned the change of election symbol allotted to him.

After hearing the counsel for the petitioner and the representative of the Election Commission, the court dismissed the petition.

PMKP’s plea: The High Court of Sindh put on Thursday the Federation on notice for Friday while hearing a constitutional petition against the Pakistan Television Corporation.

Earlier, Fatehyab Ali Khan, the President of the Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party, appearing in person, submitted before a division bench, comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Musheer Alam, that PTV had ignored his party during its special programme Election Hour. He said only a few days were left for the general elections and his party should be given a chance by PTV to inform the people about the party policy on different issues of national importance and its manifesto.

After hearing initial arguments by the petitioner, the court issued notice to Deputy Attorney General for Friday.—APP