ISLAMABAD – Expressing dismay over the Sindh High Court’s decision to grant protective bail to Ali Riaz, son of Bahria Town’s chief executive Malik Riaz, in the fatal drag car race case, the Supreme Court on Monday reversed the ruling by canceling the bail. The illegal race had ended with loss of five lives after an accident on December 5, 2010.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday was conducting a suo motu hearing of the case. The Supreme Court wondered as to why the Sindh High Court granted the bail in a case that took place in Punjab, out of the SHC jurisdiction.
Justice Ramday said, “It is highly an illegal act and let not anyone be allowed to make mockery of the justice system as everyone is equal before the law.” The investigating officer DIG Major (retd) Mubashir told the court that Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Mukhtar Gondal and Islamabad Police were not cooperating in investigation.
The chief justice inquired if he (DIG) had taken up the matter with the Punjab Inspector General Police and observed no progress has been made in the investigation.
“Since you are a capable officer and you must know once the credibility of an officer is lost, it becomes difficult for him to regain the same”, the chief justice said.
Advocate General Punjab Khawaja Harris informed the court that it was surprising that after the incident when the Rawalpindi police raided the residence of Bahria Town’s chief executive, the high ups of Islamabad police were there condoling with him the tragic end of the illegal drag race. On the request of advocate general Punjab, the court adjourned the hearing till January 28.
