HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court issued notices on Wednesday to IGP Sindh, DIG and SSP of Hyderabad and secretary general of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) directing them to appear in court on July 19.

The notices were issued over a joint constitutional petition filed by the chamber president Mohammad Ikram Rajput and Iqbal Hussain Baig, vice president of HCCI, requesting the court to direct respondent police officers to remove police picket from HCCI premises and restrain them from interfering in the petitioners’ business.

The petitioners, represented by Ishrat Lohar advocate, asked the court to direct SP (headquarters), station house officer of cantonment police station and secretary general of HCCI to unseal the chamber offices.

The petitioners said that they were elected president and vice president on May 27 this year and secretary general HCCI announced result on June 3 after which the office-bearers took over charge of their offices.

They said that on July 7, former president of HCCI Seth Goharullah along with a group of unknown persons, forced themselves into the HCCI offices and produced fake resignation of the chamber president.

They said that when Goharullah tried to forcibly enter the office of the petitioner along with the mob, police arrived there, dispersed the crowd, sealed the secretariat and deputed police constables outside the premises.

They said the petitioner moved an application to DIG and SSP for registration of FIR against the culprits but in vain. The chamber president denied having resigned from his post before executive committee and office bearers of chamber, they said.

They said that they submitted an application to SSP and SHO to seek certified copy of the order of sealing the chamber. Since July 7, the chamber secretariat had been closed as the respondents had deprived the petitioners of attending their respective offices.

Police hand over chamber keys to Goharullah’s group

Meanwhile, police handed over keys of the HCCI office to the respondent group of Seth Goharullah. On Tuesday, police had opened the chamber’s secretariat where Ikram Rajput, president HCCI, and Goharullah, former president, held talks which remained inconclusive and the secretariat was locked again.

However, on Wednesday SSP Adeel Chandio handed over the chamber keys to Goharullah’s group. Police had locked the chamber on Saturday in order to avoid unpleasant situation following Seth Goharullah’s attempt to install his man Mohammad Shahid as president.

It was decided later in a meeting of SSP, Ikram Rajput, Goharullah and Mr Shahid that the chamber would remain closed till relevant forum decided the matter.

Police opened the chamber twice in their presence to enable the two sides to hold negotiations. The last round of talks was held on Tuesday which too remained inconclusive after which police closed the chamber without giving keys to either side.

However, police abruptly handed over keys to Seth Goharullah’s group and the SSP is reported to have written to district administration to intervene in the matter.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018