KARACHI: A sessions’ court on Tuesday extended interim pre-arrest bail of two suspects booked in a case pertaining to death of Dr Maha Shah in Defence Housing Authority, till Sept 11.

Initially, the police said the young lady doctor practicing at a private hospital in Clifton had allegedly committed suicide by shooting herself at her home in DHA on Aug 18.

Later, the police booked her friends — including Junaid Khan, Waqas Hasan, Dr Irfan Qureshi along with two others — under relevant sections of the law pertaining to poisoning (the victim) to death.

On Tuesday, suspects Junaid Khan and Waqas Hasan moved applications before an additional district and sessions’ judge (South) seeking confirmation of interim bail before arrest granted to them earlier.

The court was informed that investigating officer Sub-Inspector Sharafat could not appear before the court since he had gone to Mirpurkhas, where the victim was buried, to seek the relevant court’s permission to exhume her body for conducting a second post-mortem to ascertain the actual cause of death.

On the other hand, the applicants’ counsel requested the judge to confirm interim pre-arrest bail of their clients, arguing that they were cooperating with the police.

The judge extended their interim bail till Sept 10 directing the applicants to appear on the next date. The court also sought a progress report from the IO.

Earlier, a judicial magistrate (South) had discharged the sole detained suspect Dr Irfan Qureshi from the case till filing of the final report by the investigating officer and ordered his release.

Last week, the district and sessions judge (South) had dismissed an application move by the IO seeking permission to exhume the body, observing that the IO may approach the court in Mirpurkhas, where the victim’s body had been buried.

Police allowed to arrest Uzair Baloch

An antiterrorism court on Monday permitted the police to arrest banned Peoples Amn Committee chief Uzair Jan Baloch in connection with a criminal case pertaining to attack on law enforcers in 2012.

The judge of the ATC-VII also directed the Rangers authorities to allow the police IO of the Kalakot police station to formally arrest Uzair Baloch, who is currently detained in the Mitha Ram hostel sub-jail maintained by the paramilitary force reportedly due to “security reasons”.

The alleged Lyari kingpin along with others has been booked in different cases pertaining to an armed assault on police, attempting to murder, damaging police personnel carrier, rioting and causing terrorism on April 30, 2012.

On Monday, when the matter came up for hearing, the IO moved an application seeking permission to formally arrest Baloch.

He mentioned that the suspect could not be arrested since his custody was taken over by the Pakistan army from the central prison Karachi after completion of his trial and conviction by a military court for spying for foreign intelligence agencies.

He mentioned that the suspect was currently in the detention facility maintained by the Rangers and sought permission to formally arrest him in connection with a criminal case.

He also requested the judge to issue necessary directives to the Rangers authorities to allow him to arrest the suspect.

The judge granted permission to the IO to arrest Uzair Baloch and fixed the matter on Sept 26, directing the IO to submit a report.

The same court also fixed four cases pertaining to murder, attempted murder, rioting and shootout with police for indictment of Baloch and others on Sept 21.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2020