KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday put off an application till November 11 (today) seeking an extension of protective bail granted to the four customs officers who have been accused of manhandling lawyers on the premises of the customs court.
A single bench of SHC adjourned the matter, saying that it would take up plea for extension after the expiry of granted bail.
Earlier, the court had granted 15-day protective bail to Pakistan Customs’ Investigation and Prosecution Branch’s officers, including Aijaz Ahmed Khoso, Akbar Ahmed Khan, Syed Azhar Mehdi and Zubair, against surety bond of Rs 50,000 each.
Police had registered a case (FIR No.594/2015) against them at the Preedy police station under Sections 147/506-B/392 of Pakistan Penal Code on the directions of District and Sessions Judge South. The lawyers, who were allegedly manhandled by the officers, moved the court after police refused to register a case on their application.
According to the complainant advocate Ejaz Hussain Soomro, the customs officials manhandled the lawyers on the premises of the Special Customs Taxation and Customs Court. Ejaz stated that the officials took his client Imran into the custody despite the fact that he was granted bail by the court.
When some lawyers resisted the unlawful arrest, the customs officials manhandled them, he added. The complainant stated the officials beat him and tore his cloths. He said that they also extended life threats and pointed weapons at him.
Advocate Mehmood Alam Rizvi, the counsel for the accused officials, had submitted that a concocted case was registered against his clients. He said that the officials did not manhandle the lawyers but they arrested accused Imran Khan following his arrest warrants issued by a customs court in another case.
The counsel said that his clients were willing to surrender before the trial court and face charges but they apprehended manhandling at the hands of lawyers on the court premises. Therefore, he requested the court to grant bail to them.
