Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the federal and provincial governments, former Sindh home adviser and Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, and others on a petition seeking constitution of a larger bench to hear the 12 May mayhem case.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah granted an application seeking urgent hearing of the suo motu case tagged with constitutional petition seeking inquiry into the riots.

The miscellaneous application was filed by Syed Iqbal Kazmi, who had earlier petitioned the high court requesting it constitute a full bench to hear the 12 May mayhem case.

More than 50 people were killed and over 100 vehicles set ablaze in the city in 2007 during the visit of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. The former CJP had arrived to address the legal fraternity, who had gathered to protest against the military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, but he remained stranded at the Jinnah International Airport due the riots and had to leave for Islamabad without addressing the lawyers.

The petitioner had named the former interior secretary, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, former Sindh home adviser Waseem Akhtar, former home secretary retired Brig Ghulam Mohammad Mohtram, the former Rangers director-general, and others as respondents.

He stated that former home secretary and IG Sindh had violated the court orders with regard to providing security to erstwhile CJP during his visit to Karachi, High Court and City Courts buildings.

He also said that the lawyers who had arrived at the court premises were manhandled by the mobs. He contended that the government had failed to protect life, liberty, freedom of movement and other fundamental rights of the citizens and prayed the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents.

In the petition, he alleged that MQM chief Altaf Hussain, Waseem Akhtar and other respondents were responsible for the killing of over 50 people during riots on May 12.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court repeated non-bailable warrants for the arrest of absconding accused in four cases pertaining to May 12 mayhem.

The ATC-II judge expressed the displeasure over the failure of the investigation officer to arrest the absconding accused. While putting off the cases to November 26, the court once again issued non-bailable warrants for their arrest.

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar and other accused were present during the hearing.

The mayor along with other suspects has been booked in four cases related to rioting, arson attacks, and attempted murder lodged at Airport police station during the May 12, 2007 carnage.