HYDERABAD: Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Haleem Adil Sheikh was arrested by Anticorruption Establishment (ACE) Jamshoro officials on Wednesday in connection with a land transaction of Malir.

Soon after his arrest, PTI lawyers gathered in Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench for hearing of a habeas corpus petition after closure of courts. PTI lawyers led by retired Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi wanted hearing on the petition on Wednesday evening.

Sheikh had appeared before ACE Jamshoro and was arrested after he had recorded his statement. PTI activists blocked a section of National Highway after his arrest.

ACE officer Zeeshan Hyder had summoned him to record his statement at ACE police station Kotri in a land transaction case of 63-acre government land in Thana Bula Khan.

According to PTI activist and lawyer, Bhagwandas, who had sought interim pre-arrest bail of his client on July 18 in Hyderabad, Sheikh was granted pre-arrest bail in crime No.2/22 by Special Judge Anticorruption (provincial) and it was fixed for confirmation on Thursday in Hyderabad. Sheikh had joined the investigation today but was arrested in another case, he said.

“Details of the new case are not available and we are sitting in SHC Hyderabad circuit to file a habeas corpus petition for the production of Sheikh before court of law,” he said. Bhagwandas said that SHC additional registrar Sabit Ali Shah had been contacted to open Hyderabad circuit bench of SHC like Punjab where SC registry was opened at night in Lahore.

“We are with retired Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and we want hearing of our petition today. Sabit Ali Shah told us that a message has been conveyed to Chief Justice of Sindh High Court and we are awaiting the response,” he said.

Today, Sheikh was arrested in a case of transfer of 70 acres of land in Quaidabad lodged by ACE circle officer, Abdul Wahab. Some government officials were also co-accused in the case.

A police contingent from Hyderabad also rushed to arrest Sheikh, who was said to have been taken to Karachi.

Earlier, after recording his statement Sheikh told journalists that Sharifs wanted judicial decisions that suited them and they had always attacked institutions and judiciary.

He alleged that he was being implicated in false cases at the instance of PPP leaders Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and CM Murad Ali Shah under a conspiracy.

He said that Lahore High Court had termed his arrest illegal, otherwise a conspiracy was hatched to kill him through police at the instance of Hamza Shahbaz.

He said that false case was lodged at ACE Jamshoro. BAP and MQM wanted to form alliance with PTI but they have been told ‘na khappay na khappay’. He said coalition government might use all tactics but people would beat them, he said.

Sheikh shifted to Karachi

Sheikh was brought to Karachi and shifted to Aziz Bhatti police station but they had come to know that he might be shifted to a prison, said PTI lawmaker, Jamal Siddiqi.

He added Mr Sheikh had been arrested in a 30-year-old case.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2022