SUKKUR: The district and sessions court, Sukkur, on Thursday ordered the police to register a complaint against Sindh Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) president Syed Qaim Ali Shah, his daughter Nafeesa Shah and others with regard to the beating up of a lawyer on the premises of the Sindh High Court, Sukkur circuit, a day earlier.

The victim, Advocate Manzoor Hussain Ansari, was beaten up by a group of men in black coats when he came out of the courtroom of the appellate tribunal of the Sindh High Court in Sukkur after attending the hearing of his appeal against acceptance of the nomination papers of PPP leader Mr Shah, the former Sindh chief minister.

Advocate Ansari, formerly the zonal in-charge of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Khairpur, submitted an application to the Sukkur district and sessions judge, Saleem Jan Khan, and sought an order to the A-Section police, Sukkur, to register a criminal case against Mr Shah, his daughter Nafeesa Shah, Assistant Advocate-General High Court (Sukkur) Liaquat Shar and senior advocate Shabbir Shar, Qurban Shar, Kamal Shar, Abdullah Kalwar, Farooque Jatoi and six other unknown persons.

Later, speaking to the media, Advocate Ansari said that A-Section SHO Mumtaz Mughal did not oblige him and was using delaying tactics in the matter.

He claimed that he obtained a copy of the court order and visited the police station with the request to book the nominated suspects as per the order.

However, he added, the SHO said he would first verify the authenticity of the order from the court on Friday morning before complying with it.

Mr Ansari said he had personally appeared before the judge and sought an order for the registration of the criminal case. He alleged that all nominated suspects were responsible for the treatment meted out to him on the high court premises on Wednesday.

He said he was severely beaten up by a group of men wearing black coats. However, he could not identify the attackers but claimed that they acted at the behest of the Sindh PPP leadership.

Our Khairpur correspondent adds: The legal fraternity in Khairpur observed a boycott of court proceedings on Thursday against the attack on and torture of Advocate Ansari, who is also president of the Khairpur District Bar Association.