Mengal's employees conviction case: SHC directs AG Sindh to depute state counsel

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the AG Sindh to depute some law officer till next hearing to proceed the case filed by employees of former Balochistan chief minister and BNP chief Akhtar Mengal against conviction in army personnel hostage-taking case.
Akhtar's employees Nasrullah Mengal, Ghulam Hyder Langah, Mehboob Ali Satti, and Ghulam Qadir were sentenced to aggregate 45 years in prison by the Anti-Terrorism Court-V Karachi on December 9, 2006, for making army personnel hostage and torturing them. Akhtar Mengal was also facing separate trial before ATC in the said case.
Dissatisfied with trial court order, Akhter's employees filed an appeal against the conviction in SHC, which was pending. Azizullah Shaikh, counsel for appellants, contended that conviction of appellants under anti-terrorism law was illegal and prayed to set aside conviction and release appellants.
When the matter was taken up before SHC division bench comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Faisal Arab, Assistant Advocate General Sindh Muhammad Qadir Mirjat appeared in the court and sought adjournment. He stated that the case had not marked to him; therefore, he was unable to proceed the matter.
Azizullah Shaikh stated that the appeal was pending for more than six months and adjournment always sought by the state counsel. He stated it had not yet decided that who would be the counsel for proceeding with this appeal on behalf of state.
The SHC division bench observed that submission of counsel for applicants seemed to be justified in the fact and circumstances of present case. It directed AG Sindh to depute some state counsel in said case and adjourned the matter for date in office.
INTERIM PRE-ARREST BAIL TO SINDH OFFICIAL EXTENDED: A SHC division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed and justice Qaiser Iqbal extended interim pre-arrest bail of Sindh Secretary Education till July 16, 2007.
Flight-Lieutenant Sabhago Khan Jatoi (Retd) at present, serving as Sindh Secretary Education was earlier granted interim pre-arrest bail by the SHC against surety of Rs 500,000. He approached the SHC for anticipatory bail, showing apprehension that National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Sindh wanted to arrest him in frivolous case pertaining to alleged accumulation of assets without known source of income besides involvement in corruption.
His counsel Raja Quraishi submitted that Sabhago Khan is being investigated by NAB Sindh for alleged involvement in corruption, corrupt practices, and having assets in exercise of ostensible source of income. NAB Sindh asked him to submit the detail of source of income, account status, movable and immovable properties, which was done accordingly. Later, the Bureau asked him for plea bargain in term of 20 percent and threatened filing reference against him in the accountability court.
The counsel stated that Sabhago Khan was in no manner living beyond his ostensible means, as his expenditure did not exceed his income. He rejected allegation applicant had concealed movable and immovable assets in Pakistan and abroad.