Latest news with #SindhHighCourt
Express Tribune
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
SHC raps IG over poor investigations, IT failures
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday grilled IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon over the Police Department's substandard investigation practices and outdated IT systems, during a hearing of a narcotics recovery case. Appearing before the SHC's constitutional bench following an earlier summons, the IGP was questioned about the registration of criminal cases, the quality of investigations, and the overall performance of investigating officers (IOs). Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi expressed deep concern over "systemic flaws" in the police force, stating that the current state of affairs raises serious questions about the ability of law enforcement to deliver justice. He specifically criticised the lack of proper training among IOs, pointing to recurring investigative errors. "The situation is so dire that we've stopped accepting computerised FIRs because they often don't match the manual versions," Justice Sangi said. Citing discrepancies, he noted instances where a manual FIR recorded 10 grams of recovered narcotics, while its computerised counterpart listed only 3 grams with differing factual details. IGP Memon acknowledged shortcomings in the department's IT infrastructure. He informed the bench that short training courses have been introduced to upgrade the investigative skills of police officers, prosecutors, and medico-legal experts, and that these initiatives would continue. Justice Sangi also highlighted a recent case from Hyderabad where police had incorrectly registered an FIR under Section 496 — an example, he said, of negligence that undermines the integrity of legal proceedings. Referring to a separate incident, Justice Sangi stressed that when a woman raises concern over her husband's death, law enforcement must treat such cases with due seriousness. The IG Sindh assured the court that reform measures are being taken to address the department's deficiencies, particularly in investigations and IT operations.
Express Tribune
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Alleged forced conversion, marriage of three Hindu girls sparks protest
After Sanghar district an identical case of alleged abduction and forced conversion of religion of three Hindu girls has surfaced in Tando Allahyar district where Kolhi and Meghwadh families have also lodged FIRs with the police. Three separate FIRs were registered on Sunday at Sultanabad police station stating that the young women were kidnapped from different localities in the limits of that police station. The parents also alleged that their daughters including Khenchi Kolhi, Lata Devi Meghwadh and Meena Meghwadh were compelled to change their religion to Islam on July 13. The Hindu community also staged sit-in demonstrations, demanding arrest of the alleged kidnappers. According to them, the girls were underage and, therefore, they cannot marry as per the law. Tanveer Brohi and Qadir Brohi have been accused in the FIR for kidnapping Khenchi; Saeed Ahmed Kharal, Ali Akbar Punjabi and Mashallah Brohi for Lata; and Ali Sher Brohi and Abdul Sattar Brohi, both brothers, for Meena. The FIR numbers 44/2025, 45/2025 and 46/2025 have been registered under sections 365/B and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The protest ended on the police assurance that they would arrest the accused and recover the young women. Meanwhile, on Tuesday all the three women appeared before the Sindh High Court Hyderabad Circuit Bench along with Tanveer, Saeed and Ali Sher. They declared before the SHC that they have willingly changed their religion and that they have married the three men. The women also changed their Hindu names to Muslim names after the conversion. Their new names are Kalsoom, Bisma and Samaima, they apprised the court which granted protective bail to the couples. The Sindh Human Rights Commission's Chairman Iqbal Ahmed Detho on Tuesday wrote a letter to SSP Tando Allahyar, asking him to ensure a fair investigation of the matter especially with regard to the ages of the young women. He reiterated that if they were underage, the solemnization of the marriages would amount to Sindh Child Marriage Restrain Act, 2013.
Express Tribune
15-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Man mistakenly flown to Jeddah sues airline
An engineer who was mistakenly flown to Jeddah instead of Karachi by a private airline has moved the Sindh High Court (SHC), seeking a thorough investigation into what he termed a case of "gross negligence by the airline and immigration authorities." The petitioner, Malik Shahzain, filed the plea through Advocate Nawaz Dahri, alleging that due to the airline's incompetence, he was wrongfully put on an international flight without even carrying a passport. According to the petition, Shahzain was scheduled to travel from Lahore to Karachi but was instead boarded on a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upon landing in Jeddah, he was detained by Saudi authorities, questioned, and later deported back to Lahore. He stated that the ordeal caused him severe mental distress and public humiliation, raising serious questions over how airport security and immigration protocols failed to detect such a glaring error. He contended that being flown to another country without documentation exposed lapses that could point to deeper systemic failures. Terming the incident not just negligence but a potential case of human trafficking, the petitioner called for the formation of a JIT to probe the matter. Shahzain stated that he was subjected to degrading treatment abroad as a direct consequence of the negligence of the airline and concerned authorities, who, he added, must be held accountable for endangering his safety and dignity.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Aurat March stands with director Jami
Aurat March has issued a statement in support of filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood, widely known as Jami, following his conviction under Pakistan's criminal defamation laws. In an Instagram post, Aurat March said, "Pakistan's criminal defamation laws are a powerful tool to silence survivors of sexual violence and their allies." The group added, "Jami's conviction under these unjust laws is a reminder that the legal system does not support survivors, it punishes them." The current case began at the Lahooti Melo festival in 2019, where Jami read out a letter written by an alleged victim of sexual harassment targeted by a "music video and TVC director". He later posted about it without naming anyone. However, he shared a screenshot from another victim's account, which had Sohail Javed's name in it. Javed subsequently filed a PKR1 billion defamation suit against Jami, claiming that the public reading of the statement had damaged his reputation and caused him "mental torture." On July 8, a sessions court in Karachi found Jami guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison. The verdict drew criticism from activists and the creative community, who argued that the conviction would discourage survivors and their supporters from speaking out. Both parties were previously ordered by the court to maintain the status quo and refrain from further public statements about the case. On Thursday, the Sindh High Court granted bail to Jami. In 2015, Jami's film Moor was selected as Pakistan's official entry for the Academy Awards and bagged a screening at the 46th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). "It's slightly abstract for a Pakistani audience. Critically, it's one of the best, but financially, it's probably the worst right now. The film was not for the masses, and we had 11AM screen timings. I mean, nobody would come on a weekday at 11AM. We were sidelined as an art film," Jami told IANS after the film's release.
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Aurat March condemns Jami's conviction under defamation laws
Aurat March has issued a statement in support of filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood, widely known as Jami, following his conviction under Pakistan's criminal defamation laws. In an Instagram post, Aurat March said, 'Pakistan's criminal defamation laws are a powerful tool to silence survivors of sexual violence and their allies.' The group added, 'Jami's conviction under these unjust laws is a reminder that the legal system does not support survivors, it punishes them.' The case began at the Lahooti Melo festival in 2019, where Jami read out a statement written by an alleged victim of sexual harassment targeted by a "music video and TVC director" at a music festival. He later posted about it without naming anyone. However, he shared a screenshot from another victim's account, which had Sohail Javed's name in it. Javed subsequently filed a Rs1 billion defamation suit against Jami, claiming that the public reading of the statement had damaged his reputation and caused him 'mental torture.' In June, a sessions court in Karachi found Jami guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison. The verdict drew criticism from activists and the creative community, who argued that the conviction would discourage survivors and their supporters from speaking out. Both parties were previously ordered by the court to maintain the status quo and refrain from further public statements about the case. On Thursday, the Sindh High Court granted bail to Jami. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
