Judge recuses himself from hearing IG Sindh contempt case

The formal trial of I.G. Ghulam Haider Jamali and other police officers on contempt charges could not be initiated as Justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti of Sindh High Court (SHC) disassociated himself from the case.

The case sent to Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah for formation of a new bench to hear the case.

I.G. Ghulam Haider Jamali and other police officers when arrived Sindh High Court for the contempt case hearing they were informed that the hearing has been postponed again for formation of a new bench.

Earlier, Justice Karim Khan Agha had recused himself from the hearing of the case.

The previous bench had declined to further proceed on as the I.G. Sindh and other contemnors had expressed ‘no confidence’ over a bench member Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh.

The next hearing of the case will be held on March 03.

Case background

SHC had initiated contempt of court proceedings against Sindh’s top cop and other senior officers, after a siege of the high court premises during which supporters of former home minister Zulfiqar Mirza were beaten along with journalists, by masked police commandos in last May.

The contempt proceedings were initiated against IG Ghulam Haider Jamali, Karachi AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo, West DIG Feroze Shah, City SSP Fida Hussain Janwari, Saddar SP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqui, SSU in-charge Major (retd) Saleem, Legal AIG Faisal Bashir Memon, former SP Raees Abdul Ghani, West Headquarters SP Tahir Noorani, South DIG Dr Jamil Ahmed and SI Jahangir Mahar.