Murad Ali Banglani & other (Applicant) VS The State (Respondent)

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ORDER SHtrT']]'

IN THE HIGH COURT OF SINDI{'

CIRCUIT COURT HYDERABAf) Present

M r. Justice Naitrral-r-rItalt F[rr tlprrl-o NI r. Jr-rstice Moltattr.trrarl I(at rrtt l(Ir:111 'r\gl1;1 Cr. Rev. APPI. No.I)-O6 ol '.t,o l'/

DATE ORDER WITH SIGNATURE OF JTID(}EIi

1.For katcha peshi.

2 For healin sof M.A- 1 583 of 20 I'I

Date of hearing 09.o5.2017 Date of order: 09.o5.2017

Mr. Muhammad Hashim Leghari, Aclrror:itIr. lirt ;r1r1tlit::.ttrl.s Syed Meeral Shah, D.P.G. for the Stal.cr

MOHAMMAD KARIM ITHAN AG "

''l'lr',r t 1-,-l t ltt:tlrtttl r tiltttti,ri revision application, applicants / accnser-l h;-rvc <:Ittrllcttgcrl ll16'1r1 rlr-r dated 07'o2'2o17 passed by learl-recl Juclge Attl.i 'l'rr.r rrt'i:jtrt (l(frrr I Mirpurkhas in A.T.C. Case No.O1 l')Af i, r.azlr(.telry lltc r.rl11tli<::r{i{'rr filed by applicants / accused u/s 2,:l l\ rrl /\rrlt 'l'r'rr t1)rt]1rrr /\, l" 1997(ATA) for transfer of cases bearing Sper,'ia [ ( ]asc Nor-i.( l l , O'.''} rr r r<l O3 of 2Ol7 fron the ATC to the ot'diltar.Y lt'ial <;rrtrrl rri:tr: 'li::uri:ri.-rl (the impugnecl order). Hence, the ins{.arrl ,.:r itrrinal t eviriotr application.

2.The brief facts of the prosecution case ,'rs pcr lrtli lrlrlgr--tl lry the complainant PC Fayaz Ahmed on behalt'o[ l-hc i.--ila-le nt-e lh:rl. _. ---..--.\, upon complaints received from Il'riga-tiorr I )ePnt'l rrrcrtl lor:aldirrt-l tC'!':1]{'.1..}-- theft of irrigation water by differell- lrlra.l etl:rr':r / 1,,','t,lo:, ;trtl ;,tl:rr, n'a-tel c)n |alrrrertl ,'l lllt;rl'l,r hri ll,.t' : 1._},, nro"iding / supplving irrigation ]rJ a.ccuserl persons on the reqtlest nf ltt-itlalr.rr \ttilr.tlltrlr 111L-1.1"1 ,i

police officials estatrlished a Police Picket al l',). N1ile Ilcgrrlatpt / Dari Mori where the cOmplainaut P(l tlayaz. Ahrrre'l o[ l]f i litrtrlr I'r ' Muhammad Ismail of PS Samaro ancl p(l (iltrtlatrt Mrt:'rtalrt ot I'l l Bodar Farm were deputed. On 29.1',1,.2OJ ti tlre .rrti' I <:trtt:rlrtlrlr::r'^'t-i'' present on their duty at Police Picket whetr al O(t:.i() rr rrr ;rll rrrrtl'' aCCuSed persons made conspiracy in ordet lo lirt-cilrll' rll'err l.lre 4 regulator of Asabo Shakh in furtheranr,:e of 11J11.'i1. r.:lrtrttttott olr;er I duly armed with Gu1s, Repea1er, I:'isf..lo, ll;rlr.-lr<'1:r ;rlr(:l L;rllrir':r came in a white Colour Corolla Car-No.t_,,(iV [,',1]1'. ,1 [/6'1111111 (;rr No.AYA-B4O and a Tractor Trolley arrd for"ruc(l rrtt rrtrlr-rrrrlltl rt:rscttrlrll; and started straight firing on police lrel-sorrrtt--l r,rrillr ttrlr:rtliort {o ltill and told them that today they wilt fol ,:ibly olretr l.l t,'-,:l,rirctl tct{rtlllor of Asabo shakh on which police pe.sorttt.l t'err(t-rr'iltctl llrerrr rrlr(l informed them that it is ap illegal act olL vvl:riclr lltr- ;rt ' tt:r'-rl lrer.r(rrr:l threatened tl-rat if they (police personnel) r-e:rislr-rl tltcl, r,vill l<ill tlrerrr (pOliCe perSOnnel). Thereafter the;tcr:ttrietl l-)ertr()lrrl olt,'|rrtr P.itr{ took all three police constables with therrr;r,-rtl <-otrlitrctl llrettt irlr room situated near the regulator of Asuhr,r Mitttrr'. tvltctc rtlr lltt' pointation of weapons they robbed official lll\4c liil-lc :rrtrl ttr,lril..' phone from PC Fa7ryaz Ahmed atrd rrrol-rilr: lrlrotlr- [tottt lY I ( ilrtll;tt't .t Mustafa and locked them in a roolrl. Aftet r:otrte litrtr'{llr-;tt:r:r.t:rc, I Bukhshan and Punhal Bheel ca.lrle ,r,lorrgr;rrillr lrvo lntlrr ;1" 11'16'al l" the natnes Sht: Seeta alias Juti an<.1 Sltl-: (illlalrr l,r vrrllorrr llrr:', asl<ed to embrace the said police officials whir:[-r thc la<lies clir.l urlrilc the accused persons recorded video of 6rr,rli<.-r- ollir:ialli trrrrl I.lro l:rrli<':r in their mobile phone and informed therrr (ptrlir:<:,,fIit,ialrr) llr:rl {lrr' same will be used by them (accrtsccl) irr olr.ler-lo hatarilrlurrl blackmail the said police officials in l-lrc llrlrtr',:. Il tr,:rll,-'qr:rl llrrrl aforementioned accused persons usecl tr.r sell I lrc it'r'ir-yrtirrrr I government water to nearby zarnindal-s [ry e,xlr:rtlirrg l.ilurl.lrr [ilrrr them. Thereafter, accusecl persons 1y611t- alvr.ry ;rrrr'l l'(' N4t tlr;rtrttrr:rr I Ismail through his mobile phone infor-rner1 srtclr l;rct:r I.o 111t,;, ollic.r.:r and by taking advantage all police pers()nll(-:l carrrc 1rrll It'ottt llrr- :ir,rrl G t't C room. Thereafter, the F.l.R. was registcle(l t l.!

t .fin 3. Learned counsel for the applicanls f acl:trserl lrns at!,.rtnrl llr,rl

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the case of the applicants does not fall rvithjrr ltre arnl.ril .)l llrF n'l',;\ 'd

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He further argued that according to the Ii''l'li' 1l1c allegltfrttrrlr against the applicants is that on tlre rl;,rtr ()l tttr:i'lotrl rrl'pli<:rrtrli: '/ accusecl came at the scene, made straipil 11 lirirrf. rrpott llrc llr'licr- partyl on the pointatiotl of weapons t.ool< ltrrl t'"rt[]ttr.rl llt<:ttt ttr 'r room; made their illicit movie in their trtolrilcs lt.v irrrr()lrrirtli ltr la'l\'

accused in order to blackmail the potice olficials 30 l.lrrrl 1[rey trlrrr' continue to supply government irrigat.iorr ural.er lr) rrcirr'lrY zrtrttitttlat:' ctrcrr after demanding Bhatta and that the r,vlrr.rlr- [i'll-l u'n:r I'o;-'.tt:r:'ttttl othcrwise there was no evidencc of allY {.cl-t ot' ()l 'i(rrt:-rc ol lr':rt ;ttttl llr'' insecurity being createci. in society So aS l,l-r'irrfI lltr- '';tirr'rrrilltitr ambit of the ATA ancl as SuCh the t:rrsc 3llrirtlrl l)' liirrr'rl('r'r'-tl lt"tit the ATC to the ordinary trial courts.

4.In support of his contelttions. 1,111111r-rl r:(}tlt't:r-[ lor llr' 'i'hr' applicants / accUsed placed reliance otr tlrc (r,rGC,':r ')l Yourl*rs v- state (2oI4 PCT.IJ 1062l, Liaquat All an.rl 2l rl{h<:te v. lipcr:i;rrl Judge, Anti-Terrorism court No"l., (irrjrrrtrwal:r :trt.tl ii ()f,lr{|t,r' (2OO7 YLR 1222ll, Gul Muhammad and alrother w^ 'I'ha sl:rtre (2() l.l PCr.[J 52), Jahangir Akhtar Awan and 2 (}ther:s rr- 'l'hc slnl:c Ertr<l B others (PLD 2000 l(arachi.39) arrd Ghrrlarlr snt'ru?tI'w^'l'h<r sl.;ria' (2013 YLR 1 13s).

5.Learned Deputy Prosecutor^ (-ierrer':rl (l)l'(l) trrllt,tllr;.rrrl)l),rl{'il the impugned orcler and stated thaL llrc cas() lcll 111tt:'rt<'1.-\r r,r,illrilr llr'' ambit of the ATA as the actiolls o[. I lrc lt( (]r ri(:.r I rrro( llr(' requiremerlts of S.6(2) (n) ar-rd (m) ol'I,lr.: A'l'A r,vl ri(.lr <'()tr<:ern (trt) serious coercioll arrd intirnidation ol- a Irr,rlrlir' :icr \/irrrl rn {rr (lcr l,r force him to discharge or refrain frorn discltillT-rrrf-, lris larvlitl rltrlic:' and (n) COnCernS SeriOLtS violeuce agaitrsl- :t tttqtttl16l rrl llr<-' ,,ltr r' force, armed forces or civil arlnccl fofceir ,t' rt Pr tlrli,t :icrv;rr]l However when questioned whether ttre acts trf tltr: irt.ct.rsc<l al:'ro tttnl the requirements of Strb section 6 (b) or-(,:) r,l'llrr-- A'l'A llrc lr,'nttr,'rl a> DPG very farrly agreed that they clicl n(.)l..ur.l rur:rur lr ,,,n, crlcrl llr:rl the actions of the accused did llot fall witl'rirr llr.- prtt-rrinur ol lltr

ATA.

6.We have collsidcred Lhe argtttnent.s ol lcartr,:rl ,:ortttsr:I, 1x t tt::r:, I lltr rccorcl and the case law cited bv thetl at llte lrrrr

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7.Since this Revisior-r Application in essent:c <-l rallerrp,-,.rs (trc inrpr-t,-1r'rr-,-l order not to transfer this case frour the A'I'( ] lr.' llre orrlittirllr cr-rt-trl, ol Inr' we intend to restrict ourselves to the trasic lroirrl r;vhcthrlr arr;r lua.l lcr ol law basecl on the facts and circurtstances ol' I,lre r:itsc lltr- nr:liorqlr ol llrc' accused brought their case within the arnbit oI l.hc r\'l'(' B. In order lor an act to come within the ;-rulvicrv ol llrc A'l'(- ,] lrarti, feqllirements need to be rnet under S.6 of l-hc A'l'A.

(a)Firstly the act rnust fall within thc rrre;,rrrirr11 ,rf' ;rrqv ,rl- [l-re :rrrlr clauses set out in S.6 (2) of thc A'l'A. l:ias<.--rl t'rr thc f;1r;1.5 1rlrrl circumstances of tl-ris case it is extrerrrcll, [il<.rll, nr ,rllrrrlr-, 1 l,r c:rr licr by the learned DPG that the acts ol thc acr:rrrir:tl lr,rll ;11 lcilsl wil.lrrrr 5.6 (2) (n) and (m) ATA and

(b)Secondly the act must also either thll uritlrirr ll.(r (l) (l') or (r ) r,l the ATA which are set out bclow for casc <)[ r'efcrrjrr,:c.

(a)the use of threat is dcsigne<l to cr)<rr.r: ;rrrrl irrlrrrirlalc or overawe the Govcrnrnertt ot' llte 1rrrl,lr, ru rr :rr'r lrrrrr r'l llrr public or colnmunity or secl, ot :t lotr:tg-rr r:r)vcr rrrrrcrrl rrr pot)ulation or an ilrtertratiotral t)r 1:tr r r i,:: r l r, )n ,'r . r( l'lr ;r ar( rr.'rr of fcar or iltsecurity in sociel._t,; or

(b)thc use or threat is made lol tlrc l)r lr'[)()s(' ol nrlrrrur<.jrrr-. ;.r religious, sectarian or ethtric (-'i,lll{rn r)r' rrrlirrrirlirlirrli ,rr(l terrorizing the public, social :iccl.()l li, rrr,--rlia l)cl.r()rt.i. l.rrr:i!rcr;tr commuuity or attacking the r--ivili;,rrrs ror:lrr,lirrg,la.rrra.girr9.l )l property by ransacl<ing, looling,, ,:lr':i{)ri rrr i'\,' :utir rlll.r.'r llleal1s, governtnent otficials. ir.r.stall;.rl iorr:i, ,i, rnilv lrrrr r.:r .,r la rv err lorccrncrrt agcrrcies:

Provide d tl-rat nothilrg he reirr contaitrc( [ ::ilurll nDPll; Lr' 1r dcmocratic arr<l religious ral [y ol' a l.)e,l (le Il,l (lctttott:lll atior r irr

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accordance \i/ith law.

9.This positiolt was affirrned by the llor.r'l rlc l-irr;rrerrrc { torrr I itr llr,- casc of Shahbaz Khan V Special Jrrrlge A.lti ferr:or.isrrr ()orr.r-l L;rf r.lrr ". (PLD SC 2016 1) wltere it u,as held as Llnck_-l.at f,.(.,,

"7 . It is clear from a textual rr:aclirrg ol licr:lrr.rrr r, ol A l'i\ that alt action categorizecl irr :t rl r:rc(;l i, rr r ('-l) llrcr-,'l cloltstitllte s the ciffent:c of [.et rotiltur r,],lrrtlr :r,.:t'orrlirrg lo Iiqr;liorr 6(1)(lr) ibid it is "clesigned" lo, itttct irlt;r. itrlirrrrrl.,rlc {}r (,\/cli}1r,(' i{c thc public or to crcate a seltse o['Ii::r,rt or inijcr rrrillr irr :rocicll; Therefore, the three ingre<lients of l h<-. ollhrrr:<-. .r[' terrorisrn under Sectiop 6( IIla) a.rr<I {lr} of, A'n'A ;rr',r' {.irnf lr,. o .!I taking of action sper:ifiarl irr liccl lorr rr(ilf r.l /l'i'4. LL secondly, that action is comrni.tted rrit:h dosigrr. irrl.ent.i"r.rn i,q.;l and mens rea; and thirdly" i.t lras l.hc irrrpacl o('.:l.usirrt:. \a * \ 1l)')-

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intimirlttion, awe, fear ancl insecurity in the public or socictrr. (bolcl actderd)

lo I'lrrr:r, lrrlrrirrg l.o the particular facts and circumstances of this case ,i ,,1,t){,u:, llral llre act agaiust the police officials took place in two I,'irstly, at the picket where they were allegedly directly :r,r.'1.u-r-r21lc ar'ca.s.

lircrl rrlrorr l.ry t[c accusecl wl-rich admittedly is a secluded area which is !t nol :rrrrrrrrrrrrlecl b-y any metnber of the public. 'Il-tus, in our view there is ,r,r r-vir.lr:ncc l.o sr-rggest that this action was taken with any design, inl(-nlr1)rl rurd trrens rca of causing terrorism alld since it was a secluded rr,',r ii rlir-l ttot lrave Lhe impact of causing intimidation' awe, fear and rlr:iri(:r.u.it.y irr tlre public or Society since there were no members of thc 1rr rblic :rr()qpcl this secluded spot to witness oI' even hear the action.

II ',l'lrq 5eco11d aspect of the case was when the police officials were , rrrrlrrc, l irr a rootn ancl where they were made to be photographed in the , :( lilr l ),il r y rll solur1 larclies. Again this incident took place in a closed roour ',,, llr, :*rrrrc .-r)r).ridelations as to the atl-ack on them apply vis a vis thc ,,11'1.r.[rt:aLritil,y o[ the Alrti-Terrorism Act, 1997' lt.l Attl-rougtr the actions against the police are of a vely serious tla(t.trc Irrr,l rrrrr:rt lrc clisconragecl and thus dealtwith by an iron hand as in effect llr,'\, ;u'c :rl.l-acks on society as a whole such attacks can only be dealt with rrrrlr:r tlrc rr:lcvtrnL anct applicable law.

l:1. Irr l,lris case in our view it is quite apparent that based on the facts arrrl circlunstanccs of this particular case that the actions allegedly taken I11, 11,. arl<rusecl against the police clo not fall within the ambitof the ATA :,llrr:c thc rrrate rial/eviclence which we have brieIl.y considered does not ilrr.-r..t ttrc rcqrrilemellts o[ s.6 (1) (b) or (c) AfA which are lacking in all r c sil )co l :1.

l,l 'l'lrtrrs, this criminal revision application is allowed atld special case N().l of 2ol'l state v Bakshan and others pending before learned Judge A.l,(t N4ir.pr]r.lthas Division Mirpurkhas is ordered to be transferred with -I GH c irrrrlcrli:rte etlcct' to the competent court of jurisdiction for disposal in it,j, ot ,llt rtrtc r,vith la',r'.

t,- 'l'l rcr;e ,-rt"e ll le l easons for our short order c'f even date' i) .r\.sliDi.:

' ,tfi * I t1.de lalrad. Ed/- yrutlA[1],Aii li:i[]!l IiTIAN AOITA' lf a.tc: 011.05.2017 J UuG.Lr.

CEtrTtrFILD i UE COFY $d,,- t{lifFtii.'IUl-,i.,Aii }iii.lJ.,i,"t'" t J UJlcir.9. i"2&17.

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