KARACHI, March 10 The Sindh High Court restrained a school run on a residential plot from making fresh admissions.
Petitioner Maryam Naqvi complained that a Montessori school has been established on a residential plot in a residential area to the prejudice of the neighbouring residents. Her counsel, Waqar Muhammad Lodhi, submitted that the school had been set up in clear violation of the terms of the lease of the plot (F-41, Block 8, Clifton).
He also cited the city district government and the Clifton cantonment board as respondents and prayed for an interim order.
Issuing notices to the respondents, a division bench comprising Justices Munib Ahmed Khan and Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui asked SHC writ branch assistant registrar Mazhar Ali Siddiqui to visit the school and obtain details of enrolment of students already made. He was also asked to sign the admission register as inspection commissioner and submit his report within a week. Meanwhile, the school management was restrained from admitting new students.
Appeal dismissed
Another division bench consisting of Justices Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Syed Mahmood Alam dismissed an appeal moved by the customs department against acquittal of the three clearing and shipping agents for concealing 27 kilograms of heroin in a garments consignment meant to be exported to Kenya. The appellant was represented by Advocate Ahmad Khan Bugti and the respondents by Advocates Nadeem Qureshi and S.M. Iqbal.
Upholding the acquittal order passed by the trial special court for control of narcotics, the bench said the container carrying the export consignment was inspected and cleared by the customs authorities. The contraband was alleged to have been put into it later at night but no prosecution witness testified that he had seen any of the accused reopening the container. The prosecution case, the bench remarked, was built on presumption without corroborating evidence.
Amir Khan`s plea
Another division bench on Monday adjourned the hearing of a bail application of the secretary-general of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement Haqiqi, Amir Khan, till March 11, 2008, adds PPI.
The application was filed by Amir`s counsel during the hearing of his appeal against conviction in a double murder case. Amir Khan was awarded a 10-year jail term by the Anti-Terrorism Court No. II in Karachi on December 15, 2004 for killing two activists of rival Muttahida Qaumi Movement on June 23, 2003. The co-accused in the case, Tariq alias bata, Raees and Nazim alias Kala, were awarded life imprisonment.
According to the prosecution, an FIR was lodged in the Landhi police station Karachi on July 2 in which it was alleged that Amir Khan along with others killed two Muttahida activists Muhammad Naeem and Anam Uzair in the by-elections of the National Assembly constituency NA-255.
The appellant`s counsel, M. Ilyas Khan and M. Farooq, submitted on Monday the statements of five witnesses in the case and argued that their client had undergone a major portion of his sentence and his appeal was still pending before the court. They prayed for the suspension of his sentence and his release on bail.
The bench, comprising Justices Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Mehmood Alam Rizvi, adjourned the matter due a shortage of time.