The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the former Karachi capital city police officer (CCPO) and two police officials to submit their comments in a contempt-of-court plea filed by detained Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi chairman Afaq Ahmed.
The division bench including SHC Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh directed ex-CCPO Karachi Saud Mirza, Deputy Inspector General East Akram Baroka and Additional Inspector General Legal Anwar Subhani to file their comments within seven days.
Terming his detention under the Maintenance of Public Ordinance (MPO) as contempt of court, the Haqiqi chief had prayed the court to declare his detention under the ordinance illegal.
In his arguments before the court, Ahmed stated that on the enquiry of SHC, it was informed that 13 cases against the petitioner were registered. But after being acquitted or bailed in all these cases and despite court orders and assurance of police that no further cases will be registered against the Haqiqi chief or his name inducted in cases without informing the high court, the applicant’s name was added in the Jameel Baloch case after his first detention under MPO, “which is contempt of court”.
Meanwhile, another division bench directed the Jamshed Quarters station house officer (SHO) to file his comments on a constitutional petition filed by the Haqiqi chief for registering a criminal case against MQM chief Altaf Hussain among others for conspiring to kill him.
The bench headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar issued notice to the Jamshed Quarters police station SHO to submit his comments on the petition, in which Afaq had quoted the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) statement of alleged target killer Ajmal Pahari.
Despite clear court orders for his release, Ahmed has been detained under MPO twice now.
The MQM-Haqiqi blames the government’s ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for its leader’s detention.
Talking to the media after court proceedings, Ahmed said the Pakistan People’s Party-led Sindh government is reluctant to release him under the MQM’s pressure.
The Haqiqi chairman was arrested in 2004, when MQM became a part of the Pervez Musharraf-led government. Several different cases were registered against Ahmed and the name of his close colleague Aamir Khan was also included in almost all cases. However, when Khan reconciled with the MQM chief and apologised publicly, he was bailed out in all cases and released. On the other hand, Ahmed remained behind bars despite being acquitted or granted bail in the cases.
The Sindh government first detained the Haqiqi chief under MPO on September 28 and after a week, the court was informed that Ahmed was an absconder in a 10-year-old kidnapping case. The MPO was then withdrawn.
On October 29, when the trial court granted him bail in the last case registered against Ahmed and ordered his release, the provincial government again detained him under MPO again; whereas, the Sindh advocate general on the same day had assured the high court that the Haqiqi chairman would not be detained again.
