KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday granted protective bail to Dr Zulfikar Mirza, a disgruntled leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, in four different criminal cases registered by the Badin police for attacking a police station.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi gave him bail in the cases in the sum of Rs100,000 each and directed the police not to arrest the former home minister till May 6.

The bench further directed Dr Mirza to appear before the relevant court for confirmation of the pre-arrest bail granted to him.

In his plea, the disgruntled PPP leader said that the Badin police illegally arrested a businessman, Nadim Mughul, who is also his supporter, and snatched from him Rs5 million, his licensed weapon and registration documents of his car.

He said that the police did not lodge the complaint of his supporter businessman, who was also allegedly maltreated by the police.

Applicant Mirza said when he visited the police station to inquire about the maltreatment meted out to his supporter, he and his supporters were booked in criminal cases.

He said that at present he was at his house in Badin, and his residence was surrounded by a large number of policemen belonging to different police stations.

Apprehending his arrest, he asked the court to restrain the police from arresting him in “fabricated cases”. He said that he had already petitioned the SHC against the provincial government for withdrawal of his security as he feared for his life.

Dr Mirza said that former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain were his “biggest enemies”.

He said that SSP Rao Anwar was a close associate of Mr Zardari and alleged that the police officer was posted in Badin with the task to kill him in a fake encounter with police.

The disgruntled PPP leader, who recently hurled a number of allegations against Mr Zardari, said that he wanted to appear in court to prove his innocence in the cases, but apprehended that he would be arrested by the policemen present outside his residence.

The bench also issued notices to the home secretary, provincial police chief, DIGs of Hyderabad, Karachi’s east and south zones, Badin SHO and other respondents and put off the hearing to a date to be later fixed by the court’s office.

PPP plans protest rallies today

PPP Senator Aajiz Dhamrah told a press conference here that the PPP would stage rallies across Sindh against Dr Mirza’s tirade against the party leadership.

He said that Dr Mirza parted ways with the PPP for personal reasons and not on ideological grounds.

He said that the Sindh People’s Youth would take out a rally against Dr Mirza on Tuesday [today] from the People’s Secretariat to the Karachi Press Club.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play