KARACHI, July 14: The Sindh High Court on Thursday disposed of the petition of the interned chief of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi), Afaq Ahmed, seeking status of pending cases against him.

When the matter came up for hearing before an SHC division bench headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam on Thursday, police authorities submitted a report on behalf of the city police chief regarding cases against the MQM-H leader.

The report stated that 10 cases were registered against Mr Ahmed over the last few years, but he was not charge-sheeted in six of them for want of sufficient evidence.

It said that a court had acquitted him in one case, while he got bail in two cases pending trial before a sessions court (east). The last case pertained to the murder of Atiq-ur-Rehman in which a sessions judge (east) dismissed his bail plea, the report added.

Referring to the apprehension of Afaq’s counsel that his client might be confined again following his possible release from prison under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance or any other preventive law, the court ruled: “Even, such apprehension comes true, then also doors of the courts are lying open to question any action which cannot be justified under the law. In view of foregoing view, the petition being served out its purpose and same is accordingly disposed of.”

Earlier, the petitioner submitted that he was not being allowed to continue his political career for the past nine years on the basis of false and fabricated cases.

He contended that he had been in prison since April 2004 and despite the fact that he was acquitted or granted bail in all cases, he was booked and prosecuted in false cases at the behest of his political opponents to keep him in prison.

The petitioner prayed to the court to direct the SHOs of the police stations concerned to disclose the cases against him or those in which he was likely to be named.

Mr Ahmed also prayed to the court to restrain the superintendent of jail from informing the police of his release from prison and to direct the authorities to obtain prior permission from the court if any action against the petitioner was to be takenunder the MPO.

Another petition of the MQM-H leader about quashment of the Atiq-ur-Rehman murder case was also pending before the SHC and it will come up for hearing on July 19.