Case Update Status

On May 29, 2023 Sindh High Court ordered to suspend the MPO and directed the police officials to ensure the immediate release of Nasrullah.

Summary of Case

"On May 17, 2023, Nasrullah Gadani was apprehended by the Hyderabad police from his residence in Mirpur Mathelo. The arrest was made due to his involvement in running a campaign against the government and inciting the citizens of Mirpur Mathelo against the government. Nasrullah was arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and is currently being held in custody for a period of 30 days. Speaking to PPF, According to Zahoor Chadhar, the associate advocate of Nasrullah Gadani, during today's court session, Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh issued a notice summoning the Inspector General (IG) of Sindh, Karachi, as indicated by letter number 24790-93-AIGP/Ops-Sindh/S-11/2023, and the operational head of the home department. The purpose of the summons is to seek clarification regarding the case. ""Nasrullah Gadani was not presented in court by the police during the hearing today. However, we have requested that the police bring the journalist to the court in the upcoming proceedings,"" Chadhar added. According to his Lawyer Zahoor Chadhar police arrested him on the orders of MPO and they arrested Nasrullah for 30 days. Syed Saad Jalees, legal representative of Nasrullah Gadani told PPF that his 13-member team is representing Gadani in the court, the team requested a writ petition in the high court and request the chief justice to look into the MPO order which said the journalist was arrested on the basis of allegations without evidence to which chief justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh has summoned DIG Sindh, head operations of home secretary for providing the evidence and advise the reason of arresting Gadani. Additionally, Jalees said, the chief justice has also summoned the IG prison Hyderabad because the legal team and family members of Gadani do not know the whereabouts of Gadani because Gadani is missing he is not in Hyderabad prison, the legal team of Gadani has also requested the chief justice to produce the journalist in court also. Chief justice issues notices of summoning the DIG, head of home secretary and IG prison of Hyderabad which is confidential. In the next court hearing, which will be on May 29, 2023, IG Sindh and the head of operations of the home department will be summoned into the court. The chief justice, Sindh High Court Ahmed Ali Sheikh, issued an order sheet and in the next hearing summoned to appear IG Sindh and the operational head of the Home Secretary. Shabir Bhatti, Mirpur Mathelo Press Club, president strongly condemned the arrest and shared with PPF that Nasrullah was allegedly arrested from his house for writing such posts against the government and instigating the public to block roads. Lateef Laghari, a local reporter of KTN news told PPF that Gadani, who serves as the president of the Mirpur Mathelo Press Club and is known for his social activism in serving the public, has been unjustly arrested. The arrest is strongly condemned. It has been stated that Gadani's family intends to submit an application to the Sindh High Court seeking justice in this matter. According to Iqbal Malah, the Editor of Awami Awaz, Narullah Gadani was detained due to his social media posts that allegedly incited the public and disrupted the peace in the area. However, Malah emphasizes that Gadani is a responsible journalist, and this issue should be raised in both human rights forums and journalist forums. In a conversation with PPF, Faheem Siddiqui, the chief information officer of the Sindh Information Department, stated that there have been no updates since the release of the previous statement. The statement, issued by the commission, urged the Home Secretary to revoke the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) orders against Gadani, as the allegations against him are vague and insufficient to justify his continued detention. There are two press clubs in Mirpur Mathelo, one is the district headquarters Mirpur Mathelo press club whose president is Saqib Gadani and the vice president is Syed Ashraf Shah and the press club is not active right now. and in Mathelo there is another press club which is Mirpur Mathelo press club whose president is Asad Pitafi and the general secretary is Tufail Mirani who is in jail right now and Nasrullah Gaddani is the vice president of Mirpur Mathelo press club. However, Shabir Bhutti was former president of Mirpur Mathelo press club. President of Mirpur Mathelo press club Asad Pitafi told that Nasrullah is still in police detention in Hyderabad and in the last court proceeding chief justice called IG Sindh and the operational head of home secretary, the court proceeding is slow and on May 29, 2023, the next court hearing will be summoned to give the report on the allegations and the reason of arresting the journalist. Asad Pitafi condemned the illegal arrest of Gadani and demanded a fast and prompt investigation into this case. Additionally, he said that the press club has requested the executive chief Editor of Awami Awaz and a member of the commission, Dr. Abdul Jabbar Khatak to take action on the arrest of Nasrullah Gadani, to which he wrote the application to the commission and commission has sent the letter to the home secretary. The member of the commission and chief executive Editor of Awami Awaz, Dr. Abdul Jabbar Khatak told PPF that at the request of journalists, he approached the commission and requested the commission to take action on the illegal arrest of Nasrullah Gadani and after which commission wrote the letter to the home secretary for this."

Category of Incident

Arrest

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts against liberty

Reported By

Dawn

Date of incident

17

Month

May

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Nasrullah Gadani

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

Awami Awaz

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the Hyderabad police

City

Mirpur Mathelo

Province

Sindh

Designation

Reporter

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

40

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: No

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: Yes

Court where case was presented: Sindh High Court

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Zahoor Chadhar and Syed Saad Jalees.

Date of first court hearing: 19/05/2023

Date of last court hearing: 19/05/2023

Status of court case: The court is adjourned for May 29, 2023 and chief justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh has summoned IG Sindh and ordered police to produce Gadani in court.

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Not required to contact

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Not required to contact

Employer organization

Not required to contact

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Not required to contact

Press club 2:

Press club 3: