KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the provincial authorities, Malir Cantonment Board and others to file their comments on a constitutional petition against the establishment of a sacrificial animals’ market off the Superhighway for the upcoming Eidul Azha.

The petition was filed by residents of Gabol Goth, who complained that they and residents of adjoining areas faced a great deal of hardship due to the sacrificial market near their localities.

The petitioners said there were always inadequate security and cleanliness arrangements in the market that had become a nuisance for them over the past many years. They submitted that no proper arrangements for security and cleanliness were made by the authorities concerned despite an assurance given by the city administration last year.

Besides, the petitioners said, frequent traffic jams became the order of the day due to the sacrificial animals’ market off the Superhighway.

Petitioners say market’s presence near their localities creates cleanliness and security issues

They asked the court to direct the respondents not to set up the market near the exit and entry points of Gabol Goth.

After the preliminary hearing, a two-judge bench issued notices to the respondents and put off the matter to July 22.

Airport attack case accused

A two-judge SHC bench directed an antiterrorism court, which is trying three accused persons in a case pertaining to an attack on Karachi airport in June 2014, to decide within a week the bail application of one of the accused persons, Sarmad Siddiqui.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh was hearing the petition of accused Siddiqui who said that the case against him had been pending disposal for the past over 18 months.

He said he had moved a bail application in the trial court, but it was also not being heard.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the trial court to immediately hear his bail application and dispose of it accordingly.

Three suspects — Sarmad Siddiqui, Asif Zaheer and Nadeem, aliases Burger and Mullah — were earlier indicted by the ATC over involvement in the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)-claimed attack on Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport in June 2014.

They were accused of providing logistical support, funds and weapons to the militants who attacked the airport.

At that time, the investigating officer (IO) had submitted a report which said that the suspects were arrested on Oct 28 and two of them were found carrying unlicensed weapons.

According to police, during initial interrogation the suspects had disclosed that they purchased 9mm and CF 98 pistols by using the licence of arms dealer Hameedur Rehman and handed over the weapons to Malik Mumtaz Awan and others.

The brazen five-hour attack by militants took place at Karachi’s international airport in June 2014, killing 28 people, including 10 attackers.

The attack had started late in the night when gunmen disguised as police guards stormed the terminal after opening fire with machine guns and a rocket launcher. This attack led to the launching of Operation Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan to curb growing militancy in the country.

Ex-EDO’s bail

The same bench put off the hearing of bail applications of former additional EDO for revenue of the defunct City District Government Karachi Mustafa Jamal Kazi and others in a land scam case.

The bench adjourned the hearing to Aug 9 as the former EDO’s counsel did not appear in court.

Mr Kazi, a civil servant waiting for posting in grade-19, was being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau in allotment of land in Korangi during his tenure in 2010.

He approached the SHC through his counsel and sought pre-arrest bail as according to him he was innocent and the charges against him were baseless.

Mr Kazi stated in his application that NAB issued a notice in March 2015 on which he appeared before it and submitted a reply.

In March this year, he said, NAB once again summoned him. He said he met the NAB director general of Sindh but despite his cooperation, his name was placed on the Exit Control List.

He submitted that he could be arrested by NAB with mala fide intention, requesting the court to grant him bail.

Media house attack case

The bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh also adjourned the hearing of bail applications of 19 accused persons in a case pertaining to a hate speech and attack on a media house.

The bench adjourned the hearing due to the absence of the applicant’s counsel.

The case was filed against founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain, MQM-Pakistan chief Dr Farooq Sattar and other leaders and workers after Mr Hussain criticised the army and other state institutions.

The MQM founder, in speeches delivered over the telephone, had criticised the national security agencies. Following his provocative statements, some workers also raised anti-Pakistan slogans outside the Karachi Press Club, where the party had staged a hunger strike for the recovery of its ‘missing’ activists on Aug 22, 2016.

After the speech, the suspects also attacked the offices of a private news channel and rioted near Fawwara Chowk, causing the death of at least one person.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2017