SHC issues bailable warrants for Hyderabad DPO

The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued bailable warrants for the Hyderabad district police officer (DPO) on Monday for not appearing before the court in a petition about the alleged illegal detention of a nationalist leader, Imtiaz Mirani. Petitioner Zulfiqar Mirani in his constitutional petition filed through his council Advocate Noor Naz Aga, cited Hyderabad DPO Pir Fareed Sarahndi, Superintendent Qasim Siraj Lashari and Station House Officer (SHO) Hatri Shahjahan Lashri as respondents and alleged that on the instructions of a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, these police officers abducted his brother Imtiaz Mirani from the Qasimabad area of Hyderabad. He states that his brother is not a criminal, but a political leader and the district president of the nationalist party, the Jeay Sindh Mahaz.
As the proceedings started on Monday, the SHC division bench comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Imam Bux Baloch expressed their annoyance that the Hyderabad DPO not turn up even though he was ordered during the last hearing to appear in person before the court.
Assistant Advocate General Adnan Kareem Memon on behalf of the Hyderabad police and the DPO informed the court that 17 criminal cases were registered against the applicant’s brother. He was released by the court in 12 cases and investigation is under way in the remaining cases. The counsel on behalf of the petitioner contended that the applicant’s brother was illegally detained by the Hyderabad police on the instruction of a PPP leader and in the majority of the cases against Imtiaz Mirani, he was not nominated by the complainants, but the police still went on to arrest him.