KARACHI - The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday resumed hearing petitions against top leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for holding an Iqama (work permit) and ordered the submission of documents against Faryal Talpur in the case.
The petitions seek disqualification of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s sister Faryal, Suhail Anwar Siyal, Manzoor Wassan and other for holding work permits of foreign countries and not disclosing them in their nomination papers.
The petitioner’s counsel, Khawaja Shamsul Islam, continued his arguments before the high court bench.
“In the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Iqama played a major role. He was not only disqualified but was also removed from the PML-N presidency,” maintained Shamsul Islam. He insisted, “The judgment of the top court also applies on Faryal Talpur. How she made assets is an issue which should be investigated.”
“The report of the joint investigation team (JIT) in the money laundering case has proved everything,” added the petitioner’s counsel. Islam also urged the court to disqualify Faryal for holding and hiding the work permit.
The SHC, meanwhile, told the petitioner’s counsel to submit documents in the case against Faryal.
In the absence of her counsel, Farooq H Naek, the court adjourned the hearing till February 15.
SHC disposes of petition against notification declaring Rao Anwar’s house a sub-jail
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday disposed of a petition seeking cancellation of an earlier Sindh government notification declaring former Malir SSP Rao Anwar’s house as a sub-jail.
The former police officer is the prime suspect in the extra-judicial murder of an aspiring Waziristan model Naqeebullah and four others.
The high court’s decision came on a request by Naqeebullah’s father Muhammad Khan. During the hearing, Khan’s counsel Faisal Siddiqui told the court that his client did not wish to pursue the matter further since the accused had been granted bail in the case. Anwar is currently facing trial in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi. Last year through a notification, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal declared the former cop’s house a sub-jail citing ‘threats’ to his life.
The decision was challenged by Khan. The advocate had stressed that the treatment extended to Anwar by allowing “detention in his own home declared as a sub-jail is a simple continuation of the VVIP treatment being accorded to an alleged terrorist.” Shortly after the news of the fake encounter surfaced, a high-level inquiry committee comprising senior police officials found that the Waziristan native was killed in a ‘staged’ encounter on January 13, 2018.
The incident garnered outrage leading to countrywide protests. The Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo motu notice of the matter and summoned Anwar – who went underground.
On January 23, 2018, Anwar was caught by immigration officials at the Islamabad airport trying to board a Dubai-bound flight. However, the former cop, again, went missing after eluding law enforcement agencies. He finally appeared before the apex court on March 21, 2018, and was arrested on the directives of former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar.
SHC orders NAB to go through Vawda’s plea against Akhtar
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday has ordered National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to go through Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda’s petition that alleged Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar of embezzlement in development funds.
During the hearing, SHC Chief Justice remarked Vawda is a minister and that federal government can also launch inquiry into corruption charges. He also asked NAB prosecutor to inform about the legal proceedings regarding the matter, over which the prosecutor said that the bureau will follow the instructions of the court. It is to be mentioned here that Faisal Vawda had accused Akhtar of misusing funds allocated for development projects in Karachi.