SHC dismisses petition against ban on Altaf Hussain
"The judicial system is under the dominance of powerful forces"
"Muhajirs have been made aliens in Pakistan"
LONDON: May 31:
The 2-member bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed a constitutional petition against the embargo on the MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain. The petition was submitted by the MQM leader and former National Assembly member Nisar Ahmed Panhwar last year.
Commenting on the decision of SHC, the MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain said that in Pakistan, the judicial system is under the thumb of the powerful forces and the doors for justice are being closed. It's a miserable situation that Muhajirs have been made aliens in Pakistan.
He said that The Lahore High Court (LHC) had imposed a 6-month embargo on him in September 2015 which restricted the mainstream TV in public and private sectors and the newspapers to publish or broadcast his statements and write-ups.
The slain former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Ms. Asma Jahangir took a principled stance and had filed a petition in the same LHC and the Supreme Court. She was a renowned barrister-at-law and a very kind rights activist. On this courageous stance, powerful forces had first done their worst to see her abandon her petition but when she shuffled all such notorious acts of intimidation, she was poisoned to death.
The slain academician and MQM Deputy Convener Prof. Dr Hasan Zafar Arif approached the court along with a petition in the Sindh High Court with which he challenged the unlawful siege of MQM head office famed as 'Nine Zero' and had sought relief on the basis of justice. Firstly, he was arrested in October 2016, when he got released and started his efforts again for get justice, on January 13, 2018 unidentified armed men in plain clothes abducted him. He was subjected to brutal physical torture and finally he succumbed to his injuries. He was extrajudicially murdered for showing courage and raising voice against the injustices and tyranny.
The perpetrators had dumped his severely tortured body at a deserted location in close vicinity in Ibrahim Hyderi. He was placed in his car's rear seat.
Later on, one of MQM former coordination committee member and former MNA, Nisar Ahmed Panhwar approached the SHC on August 27, 2022 with a petition against the embargo through eminent lawyer Mr Khalid Mumtaz and the higher court had fixed a date of August 30 for first hearing. However, the paramilitary Rangers had abducted him a day earlier on August 29. He was released on 11 October 2022 after his unlawful custody for many days. Advocate Mumtaz had on Panhwar's behalf filed several applications with the SHC for the commencement of hearing on his petition. On May 30, 2023, a 2-member bench of the SHC, consisting of Justice Yousuf Ali Saeed and Justice Abdul Rahman, heard the petition. Advocate Mumtaz had brilliantly as professional lawyer submitted his arguments in favour of the application before the bench, but the bench had all of a sudden dismissed it. The bench simply stated that Panhwar's application wasn't admissible.
Hussain said that he is very disappointed on the dismissal of this petition. He put a question to the people of Pakistan that whether Panhwar wasn't an MNA or a citizen of Pakistan? Was he not eligible per the constitution to be a petitioner in the court of law as a citizen? Why was his petition declared inadmissible?
He said that he needed to know who would under this oppressive atmosphere approach the courts of law for justice? And, particularly with his case, where should anyone on my behalf go for justice? He questioned.
Hussain said that in Pakistan, judicial system is under the thumb of powerful forces and all doors
for justice are being closed. He appealed all the rights organisation and the people to raise their voices against this situation.