SC takes suo moto notice over political influence in Sindh Police

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday took suo moto notice over political influence and interference in the Sindh police and issued notices to the chief secretary, the IG of Sindh and some others to explain the position regarding the withdrawal of transfer orders of SSP South who was removed following the kidnapping incident in the Clifton area of Owais Ali Shah, the son of the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court.

The notice was taken on news reports published in The News and Jang with regard to political interference and influence in Sindh police.  The report had stated that the SSP South, Karachi, who was transferred following the kidnapping of the son of the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, had been restored to the same position following some extreme pressure.

The report had further mentioned that an influential businessman of Karachi, known for his close association with the top PPP leadership, brought all kind of pressure on Karachi police, including the IGP, to appoint the restored SSP South as SSP East. 

According to the report, the influential businessman, also known as a front man, wanted the restored SSP South Dr Mohammad Farooq Ahmad posted as SSP East whereas he proposed the name of Nasir Aftab as new SSP South Karachi. 

The report stated that SSP South Dr Mohammad Farooq Ahmad was transferred on June 22 on the instructions of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah after the kidnapping of the son of the SHC chief justice. 

Besides the SSP South Dr Farooq, his SP Clifton, Amjad Hayat, had also been transferred and made an OSD for the same reasons. However, only two days later both the chief minister and the IGP had been made to take their orders back regarding the SSP South Dr Mohammad Farooq Ahmad. In the case of the SP of Clifton, the original order had not been withdrawn, the report had said.

The matter will be taken up before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court to be headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali along with the Karachi law and order suo moto implementation proceedings case on July 4.

 - Originally appeared in The News