HYDERABAD, April 12: The Sindh High Court on Friday ordered two Motorway police officials, Babar Mushtaque and Ashraf Jan, to pay Rs3,000 jointly to a bus driver, whose license was confiscated on Jan 11.

The order was given by Mr Justice S. Ahmed Sarwna of the SHC on a petition filed by Mohammad Nasir, president of the All-Sindh Air-conditioned and non-Air-conditioned Private Transport Labour Employees Union.

The amount of compensation was paid by the two officials jointly, amounting to Rs1,500 each.

The petitioner said that on Jan 11, the respondents had stopped the bus (JA-9748), driven by the petitioner himself, and had conducted a search and when nothing was recovered they had tortured him and challaned the bus under Section B-52 (carrying passenger in dangerous position).

He disputed the allegations, saying that at that time the bus had just left its halt station and the number of passengers was according to the required capacity.

The petitioner also said that the respondents had snatched his license asking him to collect the same from the Nooriabad police station.

On April 4, the court had directed the officials to bring the license with them on the next date of the case’s hearing. The court had taken up the matter again on Friday.

The court had initially decided to impose a fine, but the state counsel had requested that it would cause an adverse effect on the service of the respondents.

The respondent Motorway police officials also tendered their apologies before the court.

Then the court ordered compensation of Rs6,000 to be paid by two officials jointly. However, the court reduced the amount to Rs3,000 to be paid by two police officials within a week.