KARACHI: The Sindh High Court directed the interior ministry and Federal Investigation Agency on Monday to file their comments in a petition filed by former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani seeking a restraining order to the respondent authorities against his arrest in any of the TDAP cases without the court’s permission.

A two-judge bench issued a notice to the federal government law officer and put off the hearing till Oct 1.

Mr Gilani, represented by Advocate Farooq H. Naek, asked the court to direct the respondents to conclude the investigation into all the 72 cases within three months, at least in cases registered against him.

Also read: TDAP case: Ex-official tortured to get statement, says Gilani

He also requested the bench to direct the respondents to intimate the court in how many more cases the petitioner may be implicated to enable him to obtain bail and face trial.

The former prime minister also asked the court to restrain the FIA officials from harassing, humiliating and dishonouring him in any manner whatsoever.

The petitioner said he had come to know that the FIA had submitted eight more charge-sheets on Aug 27 with respect to the TDAP (Trade Development Authority of Pakistan) cases before the Court of Special Judge (Central-I), Karachi, despite the fact that his name did not transpire in FIRs.

Mr Gilani said he had obtained bail in 21 cases, but he learnt that the FIA, allegedly in connivance with his political rivals, was planning to file similar charge-sheets against him in the pending FIRs in a piecemeal and fragmentary method.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015

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