KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday put the federal and provincial authorities on notice on a petition challenging a Sindh Assembly resolution for clipping the wings of the Rangers in the province.

A two-judge bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh, asked the deputy attorney general and advocate general of Sindh to file their comments by Aug 9.

The petition, filed by regular litigant Maulvi Iqbal Haider, had challenged a Pakistan Peoples Party resolution passed through the Sindh Assembly in December 2015 regarding the powers of the Rangers, as the provincial government had not extended their stay alleging that the paramilitary force had overstepped their authority by interfering in provincial matters.

Citing the federation through the president, the defence and interior ministries, Sindh chief secretary and Rangers director-general as respondents, the petitioner argued that the Rangers were a law enforcement agency under the administrative control of the federal government that had allowed them to conduct operations against criminals in Sindh.

Therefore, he contended that the federal government could take any decision on their powers and maintained that the resolution passed in the provincial assembly was based on mala fide intentions and aimed to save former federal minister, Dr Asim Hussain, who was facing charges of treating and sheltering terrorists and corruption.

The petitioner asked the court to set aside the resolution and order the federal government to delegate powers to the paramilitary force to continue their operation.

On Friday, the petitioner moved an application seeking urgent hearing of his petition.

Contempt plea of Ayyan Ali

The SHC was informed that the name of supermodel, Ayyan Ali, was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) following her nomination in customs inspector murder case.

A division bench of the SHC was hearing the model’s second contempt petition against the interior ministry and immigration authorities for placing her in name on the ECL despite court orders.

An additional attorney general filed the interior secretary’s report which stated that the model’s name was placed on the ECL in the light of a statement given by the wife of the deceased inspector.

It added that Saima Ijaz, wife of the customs inspector Chaudhry Ijaz, had recorded her statement to the Rawalpindi police, alleging the model was involved in her husband’s murder, thus her name was again placed on the ECL after its exclusion in compliance with SHC’s earlier order.

In another report, the Federal Investigation Agency informed the bench that the FIA had nothing to do with the placement or removal of a restriction on the travel of the model.

The report said Ayyan was barred from taking a UAE-bound flight at the Karachi airport on June 15 in compliance with an interior ministry’s memorandum.

Taking the reports on record, the SHC bench directed the counsel for the petitioner to file a counter-affidavit/rejoinder if any till August 5.

The model was arrested in March last year on the charges of money laundering after customs officials seized around US$506,000 from her luggage at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport before she could reportedly board a flight to Dubai.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016