| DAWN/The News International, KARACHI | 26 January 2000, Wednesday, 18 Shawwal 1420 |
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday allowed 10 days' time to the State's counsel to produce complete details of the cases against Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Farooq Sattar, who is presently detained under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, 1999. The division bench, which is hearing habeas corpus petition of Abdul Sattar, father of Dr Farooq Sattar, comprises Mr Justice Dr Ghous Muhammad and Justice Zahid Qurban Alvi.
Muttahida's member of the suspended senate, Aftab Sheikh, sought the court's permission to meet Dr Sattar in NAB's custody. The counsel for the NAB, Muneer Ahmed, informed the court that such permission could be sought from the secretary, NAB, through an application to be moved 24 hours before the designated time. The court, however, allowed family members of Dr Sattar to meet him in the room of SHC registrar before his shifting to the place of detention on Tuesday. Dr Sattar who was brought to the court by Rangers in the last hearing was on Tuesday produced in the court by the Malir police.
When K M Nadeem, counsel for the petitioner, sought the court's directions for production of Dr Farooq Sattar on every hearing, counsel for NAB Munir Ahmed, advocate, and the deputy-attorney-general, Syed Zaki Ahmed, opposed the request and submitted that such permission was granted by a bench of the Lahore High Court which had issued a similar order in an NAB case but the Supreme Court had reverted the said order. They contended the orders of the court regarding production had already been complied with and there was not need to produce him on every date.
The bench, however, did not agree with the state counsel and held that the case of Dr Farooq Sattar was distinguishable for the case cited by them. Father of the Muttahida leader has contended in the petition that Dr Farooq Sattar enjoyed reputed position in country's politics and he had never been convicted of corruption. Dr Farooq Sattar was arrested by law enforcers without letting him or his family members know the charges against him and after his arrest he was kept at unknown place. He has prayed the court to declare his arrest and detention illegal and unconstitutional and call a complete record of the cases against him.
Later, talking to journalists at the Sindh High Court Dr Farooq Sattar said that there was no legal and constitutional justification in detaining citizens in army barracks, and demanded of the government that they should be released without any further delay to avoid humiliation. He maintained that he and his organisation had full respect for the courts and would uphold their dignity. He said that the Muttahida and its representatives had sound honest characters and as such, were not afraid of honest, fair, and crystal-clear accountability.
He charged that the citizens were detained for two months, which he called wrongful confinement, and said the government deliberately avoided to conduct investigation into the so-called charges levelled against them. He added that such acts of the government proved that it had failed to prove any charges against them.
He suggested that the government instead of contemplating fake charges, should produce substantial proof against those detained in the army barracks. He demanded of the government to release all those persons detained in the army barracks or start regular cases against them if they had any proof or, alternatively the detainees be granted legal and constitutional support and protection.
Huge quantity of arms recovered; 15 vehicles taken awayKARACHI: The Jauharabad Police on Tuesday recovered a huge quantity of arms, buried in a playground of Landhi police precincts, sources in District Central police revealed. The sources said that the police while acting on a tip-off reached at a playground adjacent to a Dar-ul-Uloom in Landhi No 6 and exhumed the buried bags of weapons. They further said that on the opening of the bags, they found five Kalashnikovs, a shotgun and a 7mm rifle. Police on recovery of the weapons have registered a case.
HOLD-UPS: Bandits looted thousands of Rupees, gold ornaments and electrical appliances, besides taking away 15 vehicles from the different parts of the city on Tuesday. Bandits looted Rs 240,000 from Allah Rakha in Kalri; cash, jewellery, prize bonds and other valuables from Muhammad Zahid's house in North Nazimabad.
The bandits looted cash, gold ornaments and electrical appliances from a house in Bahadurabad; cash, jewellery and other valuables from a house in Defence; and cash, gold ornaments and electrical appliances from a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
VEHICLES TAKEN AWAY: Armed men took away three cars, one Suzuki Highroof and 11 motorcycles while the city police claimed that they recovered only two cars from the metropolis.
KARACHI: 250 school buildings in use of influentialsSUKKUR: Two women were sexually assaulted by three policemen, in Jacobabad on Monday. Sources said that two women reached Jacobabad station from Pat Feeder area at night. They wanted to eat something but there was no food at the station. A police constable, saying that he would serve them food, took them to nearby Railway quarters. The women were drugged and later they were allegedly assaulted by three policemen. The policemen threw the women outside the quarters after the crime. The women were taken to a hospital where they told about the incident. Police have registered a case and raids are being conducted to arrest the culprits.
Probe ordered into custodial deathHYDERABAD: Saud Mirza, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Hyderabad range, has directed SP Thatta to conduct an inquiry into the death of Biri worker Mohammad Rafiq Khoso, whose relatives alleged he died of police torture at Tando Bago police station. The DIG has further directed the SP Thatta to investigate the matter on merit, and submit a report within 15 days. Arab Lohar, a close friend of deceased Biri worker Rafiq Khoso, is observing token hunger strike since the last 850 days in front of the Hyderabad Press Club to press the government to re-investigate the case.
ANP Frontier chief terms Hoti's arrest illegalBAHAWALPUR: The Army monitoring team and intelligence agency here have successfully managed to recover a kidnapped boy namely Usman from DG Khan's tribal area Rakhani, who was handed over to his mother after recovery. According to details, a few days ago the desperate mother of the kidnapped boy had approached Corps Commander Bahawalpur Lieutenant General Tahir Ali Qureshi for recovery of her son who was kidnapped seven months ago by a influential and outlaw Zeshan Leghari. The influential had killed Akhter Abbas, a friend of Usman at the time of kidnapping. On the mother's appeal, the corps commander took personal interest into the long outstanding issue and deputed responsibility to the intelligence at Bahawalpur for the mission. On the orders, an Army intelligence as well as a monitoring team headed by Major Kamal pursued and executed their well planned efforts and recovered Usman. The family members and general public has appreciated the Army's efforts and have thanked it, especially Chief Executive General Pervaiz Musharraf and Corps Commander Lieutenant General Tahir Ali Qureshi.
Pakistan needs 20,000 specialist doctorsKABUL: Afghanistan's ruling Taliban on Tuesday accused Iran of ignoring its responsibilities toward the Chechen Muslims. Taliban Deputy Information Minister Abdurrahman Hotak said that as a powerful Islamic country and as the current head of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), Iran should have played a positive role. "They have made deals with Russians. Iranian authorities made numerous trips (to Moscow) when the Chechens were under the Russian pounding blows," he said. "We hope Iran realises its mistake and plays an active role (in support of Chechens)," Hotak said. Hotak said that defence of the Chechen cause was a Muslim's religious obligation. He said Muslim countries were toeing the line of the West on global issues, including Chechnya.