KARACHI, June 8: The Sindh High Court granted bail to Ms Akhtar Sultana, wife of Jam Saqi, and issued notices to the advocate-general and respondent home and police departments in the couple’s petition for June 13. Advocates Syed Iqbal Haider and Rasheed A. Razvi argued before a division bench comprising Justices M. Mujibullah Siddiqui and Mabool Baqar that the registration of a kidnapping case against the couple and their son-in-law, Iqbal Mallah, was politically motivated. They are alleged to have abducted their teenaged nephew for ransom despite denials by his parents. They are being punished for Jam Saqi’s visit (as a member of the Human Rights Commission’s fact-finding mission) to the chief minister’s village to probe a widow’s allegations.
The proceedings against all three accused, the counsel submitted, should be ordered to be quashed and the detained and remanded accused, Ms Sultana, should be released, provisionally on bail pending the proceedings. They cited judgments to assert that an accused could be admitted to bail in spite of remand. (Ms Sultana has been remanded to police custody by an anti-terrorist court as charges under an offence involving kidnapping for ransom under Section 365-A of the penal code is triable under the Anti-Terrorist Act). Granting bail to Ms Sultana against a security of Rs50,000 to the satisfaction of the court nazir, the bench issued notices to the advocate-general, the home department, the inspector-general of police and the SHO concerned for June 13.
It wanted to be satisfied on the maintainability of a habeas corpus petition after registration of an FIR and order for remand and prohibitory injunction against arrest under Article 199.
PROTEST: Human rights activists and representatives of political parties and labour unions slammed the government for arresting Jam Saqi and his wife in fake cases and for harassing his relatives, our reporter adds.
They had gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday on the platform of Jam Saqi Defence Committee. They claimed that there was no rule of law in the province and alleged that the chief minister was acting like a tyrant, who had no respect for the law or peoples’ rights.
They were of the view that Jam Saqi was implicated in fake cases because he had visited a village on a fact finding mission where residents were protesting against the chief minister’s relatives for allegedly humiliating a woman.
They said that if the fake cases against Jam Saqi and his wife were not withdrawn, they would hold countrywide protests. They also deplored the institution of a new theft case against Jam Saqi and his relatives.
The protestors adopted a resolution demanding withdrawal of all cases against Jam Saqi and his wife and other relatives, while demanding punishment to those behind the conspiracy. They also demanded a judicial inquiry.
They were of the view that with every passing day the chief minister’s dictatorial attitude was becoming more pronounced owing to which the common man felt threatened and insecure.
They also demanded an end to what they termed as state terrorism.
They also demanded that Shakil Naich’s membership of the KPC should be terminated immediately.
Those who addressed the protest rally included Peoples Labour Bureau’s coordinator Habibuddin Junedi, Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Yusuf Masti Khan, Abdul Khaliq Junejo, Mariam Paleejo, Haji Muzaffar Shujra, Engineer Gianchand, Syed Hameed Ahmad, Shaheena Ramzan and Iqbal Butt.