KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday once again directed the provincial authorities to file their respective comments on a petition seeking publication of inquiry reports on Baldia factory fire, Uzair Baloch’s confessional statements and other high profile criminal cases.

The petition was filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Syed Ali Zaidi who had approached the court against the provincial chief secretary and others for not providing reports.

A two-judge bench put off the hearing to Dec 4 after the additional advocate general requested for time submitting that the provincial governments’ chief law officer wanted to represent the provincial government in the case.

The bench expressed displeasure over the failure of the provincial authorities for their lethargic attitude towards the matter and directed them to ensure the submission before the next hearing.

The PTI leader in his petition submitted that the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Law had been passed by the provincial assembly which allowed every citizen the ‘right to information’.

He stated that he had requested the chief secretary multiple times to provide copies of the JIT reports of the Baldia factory fire incident, alleged crimes of Lyari gang-war leader Uzair Baloch and cases against the former chairperson of Fishermen Cooperative Society, Nisar Morai but he had failed to provide the required information.

“The publication of the JIT reports is important to ensure that the true culprits are not able to evade justice. The precedence of making investigation reports public has been set by the Lahore High Court, which had on Sept 21 this year, ordered the report of Justice Ali Baqar Najfi on the Model Town massacre in Lahore to be made public,” the petitioner said.

The PTI leader prayed to the court to direct the authorities concerned to public the investigation reports under Article 19-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Dr Asim’s case

Meanwhile, the counsel for Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Asim Hussain submitted before a division bench that the Rangers had illegally collected the data from Ziauddin hsoipital.

The SHC bench was hearing a constitutional petition of PPP leader’s mother Dr Aijaz Fatima who sought “independent and transparent” investigation of terrorists’ treatment case against her son.

Mr Hussain’s mother in November 2015 had filed a constitutional petition citing the Sindh police, Rangers and the federal government as respondents and asked the court to direct the respondents to ensure that the investigation against Dr Asim be done in transparent and independent manner.

Her counsel informed the judges that during his 90-day preventive detention, Dr Asim was deprived of his basic right to meet with his lawyers as well as family members.

The counsel added that the paramilitary force had illegally raided Ziauddin hospital many times and confiscated different documents.

The court observed that the applicant may approach the trial court for redress of his grievances. Later, the hearing was adjourned till Nov 24.

Dr Asim was arrested by the Rangers in August 2015 and was detained for 90 days for his alleged role in terrorism related offences.

Subsequently, he was handed over to police in November 2015 after the registration of an FIR on Rangers’ complaint.

The close aide to former president Asif Ali Zaradri was booked on Rangers’ complaint for allegedly providing medical facilities to the militants belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other banned outfits at both branches of his Ziauddin Hospital.

According to the FIR, terrorists belonging to MQM and other banned outfits had been treated at Dr Asim’s hospital.

MQM’s Wasim Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Saleem Shehzad; Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani; PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel, and Pasban Pakistan’s Usman Moazzam asked him to do so.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2017