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Updated 27 Feb, 2012 11:33am

High court summons Musharraf regarding May 12 violence

It was decided by the court that the summon notice to Musharraf shall be printed in London's Newspapers.

The case proceedings will begin on April 3, 2012. A petition is also sent to the Sindh High Court Chief Justice Musheer Alam for deploying a larger bench for the hearing.

This case is long due after at least 50 people were killed in a political-collision on Karachi’s streets was on display on May 12 2007, upon Chief Justice’s arrival to address the silver jubilee celebrations of the SHC bar association and all parties in the opposition, took out rallies in his support, and escort him to the SHC building.

The very same day, MQM also arranged a rally in competition; the vital routes of the city were blocked and re-routed to avoid collision between the two simultaneous rallies. This eventually turned out to be the reason for bloodshed all over the city. Lawyers and journalists were shot at, news channels came under siege.

The business recorder building which is located in the heart of Guru Mandir was under fire for hours as seen in videos the very next day, much of the violence centered on Aaj TV the news network that covered many of the recent disputes between Chief Justice Chaudhry and President Musharraf. According to reports, a huge mob of armed men surrounded the Aaj TV building as its parking lot was set ablaze and similar infernos raged throughout the city.

The network was telecasting live footage of armed men brandishing guns in front of its offices and firing on rivals in an adjacent neighborhood. As the telecast continued, the armed men turned their guns on the Aaj TV. Wearing white shirts and jeans and riding on cars and motorbikes shooting around and preventing the competing rallies to reach their destinations, including that time’s Chief Justice to Sindh High Court.

A suo motu case petition was filed but the proceedings were plunged down the gutter as Musharaff imposed an emergency and suspended the rule of law, the constitution. After his departure several applications for re-opening the case and restarting the proceedings have been filed.

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