May 05 , 2015
News
Fehmida Mirza expresses concern over husband's safety
KARACHI: Former Speaker of the National Assembly Fehmida Mirza on Tuesday expressed concern over the security of her husband, former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who is facing charges of terrorism and attempted murder filed by Badin police.
“It is evident that there is political interference in police. Conditions are being created so as to silence every voice that is being raised,” she said, claiming that impartial police officers were being stationed in Badin for political motives.
Fehmida, who has served as Pakistan's first woman Speaker, finally broke her silence today in support of her firebrand husband, but was careful to choose her words wisely so as not to directly criticise the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which governs Sindh province.
Her press conference came as a strong contingent of heavily armed police personnel and armoured personnel carriers (APC) had surrounded the Mirza farms in Badin, where her husband is currently staying.
Zulfiqar Mirza, an estranged PPP leader who has fallen out of favour with PPP-co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, had earlier said he fears he will be assassinated in a ‘fake encounter’ like Murtaza Bhutto – the eldest son of PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who was killed in a police encounter in Karachi.
'Drop terrorism charges against Zulfiqar Mirza'
Fehmida said that she was unable to understand why "the entire police of Sindh" was surrounding her Badin residence when the Sindh High Court had issued orders for her husband's protective bail.
Fehmida demanded that terrorism charges against her husband be dropped immediately.
“If the fake cases against Zulfiqar Mirza are not dropped then the whole of Badin is ready to be arrested by police,”
She said that she and her husband had always worked towards the strengthening of democracy in the country and that she had been elected several times from Badin. "I am going to Badin from where I was elected," she said.
On Monday, the Sindh High Court granted protective bail to Dr Zulfiqar Mirza in four cases registered by Badin police on charges of terrorism, an attempt to murder, an attack on a police station and forcible shutdown of shops in Badin.
The court ordered Mirza to appear before the trial court by May 6.
Mirza’s lawyer claims that Mirza went to the Model Town police to register an FIR against police officials who allegedly tried to arrest his supporter Nadeem Mughal and snatched cash and valuables from him.
Mirza, who remained home minster of the province from 2008 to 2011, claims that on account of his enmity with Muttahida Quami Movement Chief Altaf Hussain and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, he has been implicated in false cases and is concerned about his safety and the security of his family.
He claims that the Sindh government has deputed SSP Rao Anwar as SSP Badin merely with intention to arrest and humiliate him and his companions in false cases.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk