Hamza Sharif had been threatening,Ayesha Ahad Malik

The Express Tribune

Additional District and Sessions Judge Safdar Ali Bhatti on Wednesday directed the city’s police chief to provide protection to Ayesha Ahad Malik, who claims to be married to and under threat from MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. The judge disposed of her petition seeking protection with the above mentioned directions to the capital city police officer and with directions to the inspector general of police, the deputy inspector general for operations, the Cantt superintendent of police and the Souther Cantt station house officer not to harass Malik. The petitioner said that Hamza Sharif had been threatening her and had arranged for a false case to be registered against her after she had told Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif about their nikah. She said he had sent thugs to her home and people followed her when she was out. She said she had even received information that Hamza Sharif had hired an assassin to kill her. She said she feared that she and her family were in danger. Malik had filed two other petitions as well: one seeking a case against Hamza Sharif and others for allegedly raiding her home and threatening her; and the other seeking directions to the police to submit a challan against her servant for allegedly stealing from her. In the plea against Hamza Sharif, she said that he had sent a police team to her house on April 6 that included Inspector Rizwan and Shakil Tariq. They had barged into her house, beaten up her servants and threatened to falsely implicate her in crimes if she did not shut up about her relationship with Sharif. In the third petition, she said that her servant Sarwar stole prize bonds and cash worth Rs380,000, gold ornaments, mobile phones, a Rolex watch and other items from her house and police officials were not trying to arrest him or challan him. She asked the court to direct the police to submit the challan and initiate proceedings against him. At a previous hearing, Inspector Muhammad Aslam had told the court that he had interrogated the accused as well as her guard and driver while Malik herself was not cooperating with the investigation. He said that her allegations appeared to be baseless. The judge will resume hearing both remaining pleas today (April 19).