The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday repeated summons for former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf in the May 12, 2007, Karachi carnage case.
A divisional bench headed by Justice Shahid Anwar Bajwa ordered that the summon notice be published in London’s newspapers. The hearing of the case will take place on April 3, 2012. The court also directed that a petition to constitute a larger bench be filed in the Sindh High Court. On May 12, 2007, at least 50 people were killed in attacks on the political workers of various parties gathered to welcome Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who had been deposed by Musharraf, and his arrival in Karachi had been opposed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) which was loyal to the military ruler. Chaudhry was scheduled to address the silver jubilee celebrations of the SHC Bar Association. The then opposition parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami National Party, had organised a rally in his support to escort him to the SHC building.
The MQM had also announced a competing rally. The roads leading to the airport and SHC were blocked by shipping containers. Lawyers and journalists were maltreated by gun-toting goons, all in their teens, wearing caps, white shirts and jeans and riding in white cars. The then chief justice of the SHC, senior judges and others were prevented from entering the court’s premises by these men.