KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday moved the Sindh High Court seeking adequate security and permission to travel with personal guards across the country.

He filed a constitutional petition through his counsel, Advocate Akhtar Hussain, seeking court’s directives for the federal and provincial governments to ensure provision of a round-the-clock security cover as there were serious threats to his life in view of reports of the security agencies.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari asked the court to direct the authorities to allow him to carry his personal security guards with licensed arms while travelling or addressing public meetings throughout the country.

He stated in the petition that being the chairman of the PPP he had to travel across the country to address public gatherings and discharge public duties for the welfare of the people at large.

The PPP chairman said the security agencies had issued reports regarding serious threats to his life. Therefore, there was a grave concern about his security, he added.

He submitted that he had apprehension about his security as he had been receiving death threats from terrorist organisations.

He also recalled that his mother, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in a public gathering in Rawalpindi, whereas his father being the co-chairman of the party had been receiving threats from extremists.

He said that the law and order situation in the country was precarious and several political leaders and important personalities had been assassinated in the past.

The petitioner submitted that in view of the law and order situation and security threats, his life and property were in serious danger, therefore, he needed adequate security.

He asked the court to direct the federal and provincial governments to provide him adequate security during his visits across the country.

The petitioner also pleaded to the court to direct the authorities concerned to allow him carry his personal security guards and use vehicles with tinted glasses.

His counsel told Dawn that a division bench would take up the petition on Tuesday (today).

Rangers told not to arrest MQM-London leader

A division bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto directed the Rangers and other respondent authorities not to unlawfully arrest Advocate Sathi Ishaq, a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s London coordination committee.

The bench directed the paramilitary troops and other law-enforcers to “act strictly in accordance with law”.

The court also issued notices to the interior secretary, home secretary, Rangers director general and the Sindh police chief directing them to file their respective replies on the petition by Nov 8 when the matter would be taken up again.

The petition was filed by Advocate Ishaq’s wife, Advocate Shabana Ishaq, against the alleged harassment at the hands of the law enforcement agencies.

She submitted that the paramilitary troops were persecuting her and other family members to obtain information about the whereabouts of her husband.

The woman petitioner said she apprehended about her husband’s safety as his whereabouts were unknown to her.

She submitted that on Oct 22 her husband and she were busy in routine work at their office when they received a phone call from her son back home, informing them about the raid carried out by the Rangers.

She said the raiding team misbehaved with her son and daughter and kept them under illegal detention for an hour in an attempt to elicit information about her husband’s whereabouts.

The petitioner said that her husband, being a member of a political party and a citizen, was entitled to protection of his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

She said there was serious apprehension that her husband would be denied fundamental rights, adding that he would be detained under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

The petitioner asked the court to direct the law-enforcers to immediately submit complete details of the FIRs and criminal cases, if any, registered against her husband.

She further requested the court to restrain the law-enforcers from harassing the petitioner and other family members.

Published in Dawn October 25th, 2016