KARACHI, June 13: A judicial magistrate ordered the jail authorities, on Friday, to produce Asif Ali Zardari for the hearing of two cases of attempt to commit suicide against him.
The Judicial Magistrate, South, Syeda Perveen Shah also issued a show cause notice to the jail superintendent for not producing Mr Zardari in the court, despite issuance of notices repeatedly. However, the magistrate fixed June 27 for the next hearing.
The five different courts, trying Mr Zardari, husband of the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in six cases, have issued over 275 orders for his production during the last two years. However, none of them was ever complied with.
Mr Zardari was arrested on November 5, 1996 at the Punjab Governor House, following the dismissal of Benazir government by the then president, Muhammed Farooq Leghari.
He was initially detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). His detention under MPO was set aside by the Sindh High Court, after which police detained him in Murtaza Bhutto murder case in November 1996.
On May 10, 1999 the police obtained his remand in the Justice Nizam murder case. During his remand, he was booked in two cases of attempt to commit suicide on May 17 and 19. The police submitted final charge sheets in the court of Judicial Magistrate, Syeda Perveen Shah, who issued as many as 105 orders for his production. However, the ailing Zardari was presently lodged at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, under the custody of the Attock Jail.
According to the defence counsel, Shahdat Awan, Mr Zardari was last produced in the judicial magistrate court on February 1, 2001 and the hearing was put off without any proceedings.
CONVICTED: The Additional District and Sessions Judge, West, Naseem Mansoor, sentenced 25-year term of rigorous imprisonment to Mohammad Shafique in a murder case.
Mohammed Shafique was found guilty of having killed Irfan, son of Inamullah on April 24, 1994 within the limits of Mominabad police station.
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs25,000 on the convict, who would have to undergo an additional two-year term in case of default on the payment.
BAIL REJECTED: Judge Kausar Sultana rejected the bail application of a female worker of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement in a double murder case.
Aarfeen was booked and arrested for killing Shaikh Amjad and Mohammed Anver on January 26, 2002 in Landhi.