KARACHI, Aug 25: The additional district and sessions judge-II, South, Mohammad Azim, on Saturday put off the contempt proceedings against the Deference police station house officer (SHO) to Aug 28 as complainant Mohammad Iqbal Kazmi was not brought to the court by the police from the prison.
The SHO, Asif Ali Jakharani, appeared in the court, but the complainant, who is an under-trial prisoner in the District Prison of Malir situated in Landhi, was not produced as his production order was “mistakenly” delivered to the Central Prison instead of the Malir jail.
The complainant’s wife, Shazia alias Sadia Kazmi, who was present in the court, said she had ensured the issuance of the production order of her husband but she did not know why it was not delivered to the Malir jail officials.
Mohammad Imran Shehzad, a cousin of Shazia and witness in the case, said Iqbal Kazmi was not produced in the court for the second consecutive date of hearing, adding that his family had waited for him in the City Courts since morning.
Civil rights campaigner Mohammad Iqbal Kazmi submitted an application on Aug 9 to the court of district and sessions judge, South, Zaheeruddin S. Leghari, stating that his wife and her cousin Mohammad Imran Shehzad were coming to the Sindh High Court on Aug 1 in an auto-rickshaw when some unidentified men intercepted and kidnapped them in a Parado from a road near the Defence Central Library on the Sunset Boulevard.
The kidnappers, they said, had tortured and injured them with a sharp-edged weapon and later dropped them in the Seaview area. He said the SHO had refused to register a case.
The court on Aug 11 summoned the SHO but he submitted a written explanation in his defence.
He stated that Shazia alias Sadia Kazmi and Imran Shehzad, son of Mohammad Islam, came to the police station on Aug 1 and said they wanted to go to hospital for treatment. The duty officer referred them to the Jinnah Hospital with a police letter for medical examination and treatment. After that none of them came to the police station for lodging a report.
In their arguments, Iqbal Kazmi and his wife said that the police statement was false, adding that the police officials had simply refused to register the case. They said both
Sadia Kazmi and Mohammad Imran Shehzad visited the police station on Aug 1, Aug 2 and Aug 8, but the police officials did not pay any heed to their requests.
The court after hearing the arguments had directed the SHO to register a case according to the applicant’s statement.
Mr Kazmi had submitted another application to the court saying that the SHO was not complying with a court order to register a case against Sindh Home Adviser Waseem Akhtar, DSP Zahid Hussain Shah, SI Munir Chandio and Hanif Memon for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and torture of his wife and her cousin.
The SHO was again summoned to the court on Aug 18. In his written statement, the SHO submitted that he was ready to register a case according to the statement of Shazia alias Sadia Kazmi.
The court had fixed Aug 22 and later Aug 25, but the complainant was not produced from the Malir jail on both days of hearing.