Murtaza Bhutto

Another SHO involved in the case, Zeeshan Kazmi of Khokrapar police
station, who was present in the court, did not stay there until the judgment
was announced and once again went into hiding, to re-appear before the
Supreme Court at an appropriate moment for bail. He has to surrender before
the court to get a fresh pre-arrest bail.
The order of the Supreme Court judge, Justice Saleem Akhtar said: "There are
two petitions filed by Mr Mohammad Shoaib (Suddle), and Shahid Hayat
Khan and Rai Mohammad Tahir challenging the order of the High Court of
Sindh whereby pre-arrest bail granted to them has been rejected today. The
office has raised objection that certified copy has not been filed."
"Mr K. M. A. Samdani, senior advocate, learned counsel for the petitioners
states that the order was pronounced at 2:00pm and it was not possible to
obtain certified copy immediately, although application has been filed by the
petitioners. Learned counsel further states that the petitioners are sitting in
the courtroom of the High Court of Sindh and the entire building has been
surrounded by the police force for arresting them. "According to him there is
imminent danger of their being arrested the moment they come out of the
courtroom.
"Without going into the merits of the case which have been stated by the
learned counsel, I allow all the three petitioners pre-arrest bail up to 4th
December, 1996, which date the certified copy should be filed and the
petitioners shall also be present in court. They are required to surrender in
court on 3rd December 1996 at 9:30am. Pre-arrest bail is granted to the
petitioners, each in the sum of Rs200,000 with one surety and P. R. Bonds in
the like amount, to the satisfaction of the Assistant Registrar of Supreme court
of Pakistan, Karachi. signed Saleem Akhtar, judge."
Earlier, the Sindh High Court Justice Kamal Mansur Alam in his nine-page
order dismissed the pre-arrest bail application by observing that "there seems
no dispute that as a result of police firing eight persons including Mir
Murtaza Bhutto and Ashique Jatoi were killed and several others injured."
The order further said: "The controversy about Haq Nawaz Sial's injury being
self-suffered and his subsequent death are matters which too cannot be
overlooked. There is no reliable material available to suggest ulterior motive
on the part of the police or the complainant. The fact that the applicant's name
has not been mentioned in the interim challan would dispel any allegation of
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