The Sindh government appears to be deliberately delaying the expected release of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chairman Afaq Ahmed as the additional prosecutor general did not appear before the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday while the court was hearing an application filed by the Haqiqi chief.
Sources in the Sindh Prosecution Service Department told Pakistan Today that there was no evidence against Ahmed in the last case and he could be released on bail or the case could be disposed of, but apparently, the high-ups have directed the department to take measures for the deferment of proceedings.
The SHC on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on an application filed by Ahmed, seeking quashment of a murder case against him, till July 25.
Assistant prosecutor general Mazar Mehdi Memon appeared before Justice Tufail H. Ebrahim as a substitute for the additional prosecution general Zafar Ahmed and submitted that Ahmed was not able to appear before the court due to his commitments with the Supreme Court.
The court was adjourned till the next hearing due to Ahmed’s absence while Justice Ebrahim issued directive for the presence of Zafar Ahmed in the next hearing or else the assistant prosecutor will have to submit his comments before the court.
Earlier, the court had expressed its dissatisfaction over the delaying attitude in the case and made it clear that no further adjournment would be granted.
On the occasion, advocate Ilyas Khan, counselling on behalf of the petitioner, argued that his client had been in jail since April 2004 and was booked in a number of new cases at the behest of his rival party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. He contended that the Haqiqi chief had been politically victimised through several baseless cases against him. The counsel argued that the prosecution had failed to produce any solid evidence to prove Ahmed’s involvement in any offence and the cases should be dismissed.
