SHC orders Zulfiqar Mirza to surrender today!

• SHC grants 10-day protective bail to Mirza in two cases

Granting provision of security, the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday ordered former Sindh home minister and estranged Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Zulfiqar Mirza to surrender before the Sindh Police by May 9.

A division bench comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Saeeduddin heard plea filed by Mirza’s counsel urging provision of security.

Sindh Advocate General Abdul Fateh Malik said that there are at least five cases against Mirza and “security is provided to the people who respect law and order”. Mirza has his personal security, he added.

Expressing intolerance to going against law, Justice Shah questioned the rationale behind request for security, given that Mirza did not let anyone come near him. “Mirza doesn’t trust the police and yet wants security by the same institution,” he said.

On that count, Mirza’ counsel explained that they fear Mirza would be killed in a staged police encounter. He urged the court to order Hyderabad deputy inspector general (DIG) to take care of Mirza’s security.

Concluding, the court ordered security for Mirza and barred the authorities concerned from registering any further case against him until his surrender scheduled for today.

Separately, the SHC on Friday granted 10-day protective bail to Mirza in two cases. A single bench comprising Justice Farooq Ahmed Shah gave Rs 100,000 bail in two cases, directing him to surrender before the trial court concerned.

Mirza’s counsel submitted that on May 3, Mirza along with his supporters had gone to Model Town police station to register an FIR against the “unlawful arrest” of his supporter but the police officials declined entertaining his plea. He added that the police registered five fabricated cases against Mirza and his supporters. He said that Mirza wanted to appear before the trial court concerned but he needed some time. Therefore, he pleaded to the court to grant him protective bail in two criminal cases.

Three cases were registered against Mirza on criminal charges of attempted murder, attacking a police station and forcibly shutting down shops in a market of Badin under Anti-Terrorism Act while two more case were registered against him for attempting murder and obstructing the public servants from performing their duties.