SHC seeks comments on plea of man acquitted of Perween Rahman murder against detention

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the home department to file comments on a petition filed by an acquitted accused in Orangi Pilot Project’s (OPP) director Perween Rahman murder case against his detention under the maintenance of public order (MPO).

Mohammad Imran Swati submitted in the petition that he was acquitted in the murder case by the Sindh High Court as the prosecution had failed to prove charges against him and other co-defendants.

He submitted that after he was acquitted, the Sindh home department had on December 1 issued a notification to detain him and other co-accused for 30 days under the MPO despite his acquittal.

A counsel for the petitioner submitted that the high court had acquitted the petitioner even of terrorism charges and there was no reason mentioned for their detention under the MPO. The high court was requested to set aside the impugned detention order.

A provincial law officer and additional prosecutor general undertook to file comments on the petition. A division bench of the high court headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha directed the provincial and federal law officers to file comments without any fail on the next hearing.

The bench also directed the home secretary and Sindh inspector general of police to appear before the court along with the relevant material that justified the issuance of the impugned notification with regard to the detention of the petitioner under the MPO by December 12.

It is pertinent to mention that the SHC had on November 21 set aside the life imprisonment and other sentences awarded to five persons by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the murder case of the OPP director, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove charges against them.

Mohammad Raheem Swati was sentenced to twice life imprisonment along with his three other accomplices for murdering Parveen Rehman in Orangi Town on March 13, 2013. The ATC also sentenced Imran Swati, son of Raheem Swati, and three others to seven years in prison for abetment and concealment of evidence. Family members of the Perween have also challenged the SHC’s acquittal of the accused before the Supreme Court.